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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677961">Time Changes Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptivateNovan/pseuds/CaptivateNovan'>CaptivateNovan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Glee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Glee - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:26:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677961</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptivateNovan/pseuds/CaptivateNovan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Returning back to Lima after being gone for years, Ravannah Blair Berry joins her cousin's, Rachel Barbra Berry, little clique of friends. Having no idea of the hierarchy of Mckinley High, she soon finds herself in the middle of drama that started way before she came back. Drama that wasn't hers. Trying to totterer between being surrounded by dramatic teens, and her toxic home life, things get even more stressful when she enters a facade of a relationship at the prodding of Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes and Mr. Shue. </p><p>But what happens when the fake relationship becomes real and ruffles the feathers of people within the club?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Noah Puckerman/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Photo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Prologue:</span>
</p>
<p>Rachel happily skips into the room, with another two boxes in her arms. Finn is right behind her, couple of bags on his arms, and a large rolled up picture. As she sets the boxes down, she looks around the room as they decorate. The Glee room is filled with balloons, streamers, a welcome banner and other party things. “Alright, Rachel,” Kurt asks, looking down at her from his chair, “what is all this for?”</p>
<p>“You’ll see!” She has a grin on her face, “Puck, help Finn hang up that picture please.”</p>
<p>Puck glances up from one of the boxes of cookies that were brought into the room, “Do I have to?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” her finger juts at the wall where Finn is waiting.</p>
<p>Reluctantly, he places the cookies on an empty chair next to him. The two of them are careful as they start to pin it to the wall. “What is all this for?” Mercedes stands next to Rachel as she grins towards the picture.</p>
<p>The picture unrolls, the photo of two girls. They’re smiling at the camera, they’re maybe about ten. Both in matching dresses, a deep purple tu-tu styled dress. Their black hair into two ponytails, hugging each other tightly. “My cousin moved over to Lima, we haven’t seen each other since pretty much this picture, except a handful of times,” she turns to look at group behind her.</p>
<p>“Oh, great, one Rachel wasn’t enough,” Quinn rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>Rachel ignores her, “We were so close! It was like having another me!”</p>
<p>Finn stands next to her, “What’s her name?”</p>
<p>“Ravannah, but she prefers to be referred to as Ravan. We’re only a few months apart. Growing up, she was like the sister I never got. We’d sing, and dance and spend all the time we could with each other.”</p>
<p>“So, in a sense, we really are getting another you?” Santana’s left eyebrow is raised.</p>
<p>“Isn’t it great?!”</p>
<p>“No,” Kurt crosses his arms, “I can probably make a list of all the reasons of why this isn’t great. Reason one, one of you is enough.”</p>
<p>Rachel’s smile slightly falls, “You don’t even know her yet. I mean, we’re probably a little different now.  You know, people change as they get older. So, I’m sure she’s not going to be a carbon copy.”</p>
<p>“God, I hope so,” Mercedes mutters under her breath.</p>
<p>“She’s on her way!” Rachel cheers, “Everyone, find a place to hide! She’ll be here any minute!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Expectations Shattered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ravan and Rachel were really close before Ravan had to move away, as the two of them are months apart, Rachel was over the moon to have her partner in crime again. Her partner in crime, however, is nothing like she remembered.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">Rachel’s POV</span>
</p>
<p>I’m squeezed down behind a chair, Ravan is actually here! We’re actually going to go through high school together! My heart is beating against my chest, waiting to hear her walk into the room. There’s a set of footsteps, “Hello?”</p>
<p>“Ravan!” I jump up from my hiding spot, but I have no idea who is standing in the doorway. She has Ravan’s hair, dark black, wavy, almost looking like a lion’s mane. Her silver eyes stared back at me; the bottom of her eyes scrunched slightly by her cheek bones as she smiled.  She’s in all black, her hoodie says, “I speak fluent sarcasm.”. Slightly loose black jeans, small rips across the thighs. She’s a lot taller than I am, and she is built completely differently than me. “Ravan?”</p>
<p>Ravan smiles at me, “Hey, Rachel.”</p>
<p>“Did we jump out for the wrong person?” Finn asks.</p>
<p>Ravan walks towards me, turning to look at the photo of us on the wall. “God, that’s like a lifetime ago,” she laughs.</p>
<p>“Is this what’s going to happen to Rachel when she goes through puberty?” Santana jokes.</p>
<p>“Do you happen to know how easy it is to see your tits are fake?” Ravan fires back, only glancing in her direction.</p>
<p>The room laughs, Santana glaring daggers in her direction. “So, you’re Rachel’s cousin,” Kurt is standing next to her, “it’s nice to meet you, I’m Kurt.”</p>
<p>She gently shakes his hand, “Nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>I watch as they start to crowd around her, asking her question after question. I make my way through to her, having to look up to make eye contact with her. “It’s awesome you’re here!” I try to hide the fact that I’m wondering what happened. How could someone I thought was so much like me become the complete opposite of me?</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Ravan’s POV </span>
</p>
<p>I try to keep calm as Rachel’s friends bombard me with questions. I’m giving the quickest, simplest answers as I can. This is way more attention than I’m used to, and way more attention than I’d ever want. I slip out of the center of the circle, “So, how have you been, Rachel?”</p>
<p>“Oh, great!” She smiles at me.</p>
<p>“That’s good,” I glance around, taking the room in. My eyes look at the instruments pushed up against the wall, “Is this the band room?”</p>
<p>“No,” Rachel shakes her head, “this is the Glee room. I told you about it, remember?”</p>
<p>“Oh, right,” I give a light smirk.</p>
<p>“Are you going to be joining us?” Kurt asked, returning a smile to me.</p>
<p>“Uh, no, actually.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Rachel asks.</p>
<p>I stick my hands in my pockets, “I’m not interested in singing and dancing right now. I’m more interested of getting used to being back here.”</p>
<p>“Of course, that makes sense. Take all the time you need.”</p>
<p>Their questions start hush a bit, I look to the picture of Rachel and me. We aren’t those girls anymore, but it’s not hard for me to notice that there’s still a shred of that girl inside her now teenage self. The way we’re dressed, the hair and everything else wrapped into that picture hit me slightly harder. That girl next to her is no longer who I am, and I haven’t been like that for years.</p>
<p>We’ve gone through paths that are light-years away from each other. She steps out acting more of how she had always acted. I can’t see me being the girl in the picture anymore. I know it is, but I just have a hard time reminding myself of it.</p>
<p>“Rachel told us you two used to sing and dance together,” Artie, I think, looks up at me.</p>
<p>“Well, yeah, don’t most girls sing and dance together when they were younger?”</p>
<p>“Did you pursue it as she did?”</p>
<p>I give a small laugh, “Of course I did, it’s in the Berry blood. She went more Broadway, though.” I look at her, “Gotta chase that Barbra, right?”</p>
<p>Rachel laughs, “Only <em>the</em> Barbra.”</p>
<p>“Where’d you go with it?” Finn is standing between Rachel and Quinn. The three of them next to each other sends an odd feeling through me.</p>
<p>“I dabble in a bit of everything. Just whatever song catches my ear, no matter the genre. But, if you mean how Rachel followed Broadway, I’m more into rock, so to speak.”</p>
<p>“Couldn’t guess that from your outfit,” Santana attempts to insult me.</p>
<p>I turn to look at her, “How much did yours cost? Those Bs? I got my Ds for free, honey.” My smile pulls to the left as she huffs at me, sitting back down in her seat. “It was nice meeting all of you,” I look at Rachel, “We’re supposed to meet everyone at the diner, remember?”</p>
<p>Rachel swoops up her backpack, “I almost forgot.”</p>
<p>“Wait, who’s cleaning this up?” Finn calls out to us.</p>
<p>“Could you guys? Thanks!” Rachel smiles over her shoulder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The First Engagement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Can't expect a bad boy to not go after the new girl.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I’m sitting in my first hour class, a little earlier than I should be. Rachel wanted me to meet the two or three who weren’t there on Friday. Honestly, I don’t want to deal with that first thing in the morning, and I need to start learning my way around this school. My eyes scan left to right in the book I’m reading, <em>Envy</em>.</p>
<p>My attention is only piqued when someone sits down next to me. I glance over, I think his name was Puck. “Uh, good morning.”</p>
<p>“Good morning,” he smiles over at me.</p>
<p>Rachel gave me a short run down of everyone’s personalities. If she was explaining them right, Puck being early to a class would be suspicious. “How are you doing?”</p>
<p>“I’m doing good, how about yourself?”</p>
<p>“Fine, thank you,” I flip the page of my book.</p>
<p>“So,” he leans back in his chair, “you leave a boyfriend behind or anything?”</p>
<p>I stifle a small laugh, “No, I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“You need one? Because I’m free.”</p>
<p>“Going to have to decline the offer but thank you for it.”</p>
<p>Puck sits upright, “How about just a date?”</p>
<p>“How about no but thank you again.” I close my book, “Do you always try to work this fast?”</p>
<p>“I figured I should get to know Rachel’s cousin,” I’m still side-eyeing him, “We’ll probably spend a lot of time together. When you finally do join the club. That’s all Rachel really said about you.”</p>
<p>“What, that I could sing and dance?”</p>
<p>Puck smiles, “That you could do just as well as she does. Which is a huge statement coming from Rachel, wouldn’t you agree?”</p>
<p>“I suppose.”</p>
<p>“So, I’m just getting ahead of everyone in getting to know you.”</p>
<p>“If you say so, Noah.”</p>
<p>“It’s Puck, no one calls me Noah. Besides subs.”</p>
<p>“Well, now I guess you can add me to that list,” I look at him, “Noah.”</p>
<p>His eyebrows slightly dip, “Exactly why are you calling me by my first name? No one else does.”</p>
<p>“I’m just getting ahead of everyone else’s basic obedience of what you say.”</p>
<p>He blinks once, “What?”</p>
<p>My smile gets a little bigger, “I’m not intimidated by you, nor do I choose to adhere what you say. In short, get used to me calling you Noah. I strive for originality.”</p>
<p>Before he can retort, the bell rings as the teacher swiftly enters the room. He sits next to me the entire class, catching a glimpse of him glancing at me a few times.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>I find my way towards where Rachel’s next class is. Turning the corner, I see she’s peering slightly, as if she’s hiding. I quietly make my way towards her, to see what she was doing.</p>
<p>When I get to a safe enough distance, I lean to see what she’s staring at. It’s Finn and Quinn, having a discussion. They’re hushed enough that I don’t know what they’re talking about. They share a quick kiss, and Rachel sighs.</p>
<p>I wait until the two of them are out of ear shot, “I figured you liked him.”</p>
<p>Rachel jumps, “You scared the crap out of me.” She looks at me, “What do you mean you ‘figured I liked him’?”</p>
<p>I stuff my hands in my pockets, “Got that vibe,” we start walking towards the Glee room, “It’s really hard to ignore.”</p>
<p>“I just don’t get why he stays with her,” her voice is soft, “she’s mean to him. Finn’s the nicest guy in school, he deserves so much better.”</p>
<p>My arm drapes over her shoulders, “I’m sure he’ll realize how much of a bitch she is.”</p>
<p>“But she’s pretty, and popular and people like her more.”</p>
<p>“A bitch is a bitch, Rachel.”</p>
<p>“I guess so,” she tries to smile. “How’s the second week of school going?”</p>
<p>I laugh slightly, “Met Noah one on one this morning.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“He and I have the same class in the morning,” I shrug, “Straightforward kind of guy. A little aggressive, to be honest. Funny, though.”</p>
<p>“I told you about him, I don’t want something happening with you two. <em>You </em>could do better than him.”</p>
<p>I place my hands in defense, “Nothing happened. Other than me letting him know that I would refer to him as Noah, not as Puck, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Perplexed him quite a bit.”</p>
<p>We slip into the Glee room, “Where’s Mr. Shue?” Rachel asks.</p>
<p>“I guess he went home sick,” Mercedes looks over at us, “no teacher.”</p>
<p>Rachel huffs, “Well, that’s just great.” She runs her fingers through her hair, “I’m going to go use the restroom.”</p>
<p>I glance around the room, Finn, Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt were the only people in the room with me. There’s small chit-chat as I’m looking at my phone. “Where’s Mr. Shue,” Noah joins the room.</p>
<p>“Went home sick,” Kurt says over his shoulder.</p>
<p>The room is quiet for a moment, but I don’t understand why. These people are friends, right? An uncomfortable vibe saturates the room, from whom, I don’t know. My eyes glance about, trying to see if I can see anything. “You guys are a lively bunch,” I jest</p>
<p>Kurt turns to look at me, “We’re just dealing with somethings. That, any day now, you’ll learn about it.”</p>
<p>I raise an eyebrow, “Or, you guys could just tell me now.”</p>
<p>“Glee club isn’t exactly the top of the totem pole here,” Mercedes looks to me, “We’re pretty much the bottom.”</p>
<p>“I see,” I glance about. Noah and Finn look really uncomfortable.</p>
<p>My eyes scan over both of them, “Don’t look at my boyfriend like that,” Quinn warns.</p>
<p>I can’t help but laugh at her, “He’s not even my type, sweetheart.” She rolls her eyes, “Though, I’m going to figure this awkward feeling in the air has to pertain to Finn and Noah.”</p>
<p>“His name is Puck,” she growls.</p>
<p>“Last time I checked; I’m allowed to call anyone by whatever name I choose to do. So, slow your fucking roll, you fruit loop.” My arms cross over my chest, “Am I wrong, though?”</p>
<p>Finn clears his throat, “Coach told us that we had to choose today.”</p>
<p>“Choose?”</p>
<p>“If we wanted to be a part of Glee club or football,” Noah looks down at me.</p>
<p>“Hmm,” I look at the ground, “weird request.”</p>
<p>Rachel joins the room again, “What’s weird request?” Her eyes shoot to Noah for a moment.</p>
<p>“The football coach telling them to choose Glee or football. I mean, can he even do that?”</p>
<p>“He can and did,” Noah puts his hands in his pockets, “I’m sorry, but football is more important to me than this.”</p>
<p>“You can’t be serious.” Rachel glares.</p>
<p>“Look,” he looks around, “I can’t put up with all the bullshit that comes from being associated with this. It’s just not worth it.”</p>
<p>“Then leave.” Rachel points towards the door.</p>
<p>The room falls quiet again, everyone shooting a few glares at Noah. I grab my upper left arm with my right hand, the anger swirling around each of us. Rachel has her arms crossed tightly over her chest.</p>
<p>Noah looks to Finn, “We’re still good, right?”</p>
<p>Finn nods, “Of course.”</p>
<p>Noah stands there for a few more moments. Before he leaves, he looks at me for a second. I stand there, probably with a ‘deer caught in the headlights’ type expression on my face. He turns around, leaving all of us in the room.</p>
<p>It’s quiet again, except now everyone is looking at me. What did I do?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Annoying Sacrifice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As emotion rises among the members of Glee club, Ravan takes the empty spot to stop the juvenile arguing. Much to her annoyance, the bratty behavior doesn't dissipate.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rachel and I are at our lockers, somehow there was one open next to hers. She’s been complaining all weekend about Noah leaving the club. I understand her anger, but his choice is his choice.</p>
<p>She shuts her locker, I’m still digging through mine, “I bet Finn’s going to follow him next.” She leans against her locker.</p>
<p>“Maybe not,” I shut mine, “but there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.”</p>
<p>We start to walk towards the Glee room, “What are we going to do? We were already short on members, and now ones gone and there’s a chance more will follow after.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure something will be figured out,” I glance over, “maybe Shue will be able to come up with a plan of some sort.”</p>
<p>“I hope so.” Rachel walked into the room first, me on her heels.</p>
<p>Shue notices us, “Hello, Rachel. This is your cousin, I take it?”</p>
<p>“My names Ravan,” I hold my hand out.</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you. Will you be joining us?”</p>
<p>“Not at this moment,” I glance off, “gotta get used to Lima again.”</p>
<p>“You’re always welcome.”</p>
<p>“Puck quit,” Rachel cuts off his next sentence.</p>
<p>Shue takes a step back, “What do you mean he quit?”</p>
<p>“If heard through the vine,” Kurt is sitting down, gripping the bridge of his nose, “I think Finn went with him.”</p>
<p>“What? Went where?”</p>
<p>“Coach told them that they either leave this or leave football. We all know that Finn and Puck care more about that.”</p>
<p>“I am not leaving,” Finn joins the room, “I don’t know who started that rumor, but I’m not.”</p>
<p>Rachel walks up to him, “Can you convince Puck to come back? You two are best friends, right?”</p>
<p>Finn puts his hands in his pockets, “He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”</p>
<p>I watch as Rachel sits down on the piano bench, “Great, now what are we going to do?”</p>
<p>“I’ll try to talk to him, but I’m not making any promises. I’m not a magician or something.”</p>
<p>I’m sitting in first hour again, Rachel is trying to get Finn to keep pushing Noah until he ‘folds and comes back’. I’m not saying I know better, but I’m pretty sure Finn can’t do anything about it.</p>
<p>Noah sits down next to me, “Hey.”</p>
<p>“Hello,” I give a small smile.</p>
<p>“Rachel tell you not to talk to me anymore or?”</p>
<p>“No, even if she did, I wouldn’t. I’m a big girl, y’know?”</p>
<p>He laughs slightly, “You join them yet?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m not ready to focus on all that.” I glance down at my phone. “I know she’s got Finn bugging you.”</p>
<p>“I’ve told him no multiple times,” he leans back, “you’d think they’d get the hint. I mean, you know where I’m coming from, right?”</p>
<p>“Not really, if I’m being completely honest. Keep in mind that I don’t know you very well, so what I think on the matter shouldn’t carry any weight. I haven’t been here long enough.”</p>
<p>“I suppose that’s an honest answer.”</p>
<p>I nod once, “That’s all you’ll get from me.”</p>
<p>The teacher joins the room as the bell rings, muttering on about something. He seems off, but he starts opening up the SmartBoard with whatever it is we’re meant to do today. His voice is harsh, quickly explaining what we would be doing this semester. The entire class inched by at a snail’s pace, people only being almost as quiet as he would like.</p>
<p>The bell rings, and I get up to leave. I notice that I don’t leave the room alone, “Yes, Noah?” I ask, glancing over at him.</p>
<p>“Do you think you could get those who are still in the club to give me a break?”</p>
<p>I stop walking, “You really think I have that kind of say? You want them to give you a break, find someone to replace you. They don’t necessarily need <em>you</em>, but they need someone to fill the spot you made.”</p>
<p>Noah looks at me, “Then you take the spot I left.”</p>
<p>“No,” I begin walking, “I don’t want to.”</p>
<p>“They’d be less mad if you did.”</p>
<p>“They’re mad at you, not me.” I walk onto a quiet hallway, before stopping. “I don’t know why you’re trying to get me to help you. I can’t do anything, they’re people who have their own emotions. Try to apologize, you didn’t even tell Shue. Rachel had to tell him.”</p>
<p>Noah stands there for a second, leaning against the wall. “If I try that, they’ll ask me to stay.”</p>
<p>“I’m not saying apologizing would fix everything, but maybe it’d steady the waters a little bit.”</p>
<p>“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try,” he looks at me, “where’s your last class?”</p>
<p>“Uh… It’s around the corner from the Glee room. It's algebra two with Ms. Fifer. I’m still learning the school.”</p>
<p>“I’ll see you then,” with that, he turned around and walked down the opposite way.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Just as he said, he’s waiting for me outside of my class. We start walking towards the Glee room, “Why did you wait for me?”</p>
<p>“Hopefully, coming in with you, Rachel won’t bitch my ear off.”</p>
<p>I bite my tongue as we enter the room, “Ravan, what are you doing with him?” Rachel stomps over.</p>
<p>Before I can answer, Shue enters the room. “Coming back, Puck?” His eyebrow raises.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to come apologize,” he looks at him, “doesn’t mean I’m coming back, but I’m sorry that it’s going this way.”</p>
<p>“Well, thank you for the apology,” his arms are still crossed, “but I guess you’ll be leaving now?”</p>
<p>Rachel’s hand wraps around my wrist as she pulls me away from him, her eyes burning into his being. “Yeah, he is, and I don’t want him around Ravan anymore.”</p>
<p>“Rachel,” I try to counter.</p>
<p>“No,” she looks at me, “he’s being selfish, don’t waste your time with someone like that. Blood is thicker than water, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>I roll my eyes, “I’m pretty much an adult, Rachel, you can’t control who I talk to.”</p>
<p>“So, you’re going to be friends with someone who is hurting me?”</p>
<p>“How am I hurting you?” Noah looks at her.</p>
<p>“If we don’t have enough people, they won’t let Glee club stay open. This is something I want to have so badly, you leaving and leaving us a spot empty is hurting our club, therefore, is hurting me.”</p>
<p>“That’s stupid.”</p>
<p>I watch as he and Rachel get into a more heated argument, their voices no longer ‘inside voices’. Shue is trying to get them to stop, but it’s not working. My eyes glance around at the others in the room, their stares at the floor or at the yelling in the center of the room.</p>
<p>“I’ll take his spot!” I shout.</p>
<p>Rachel turns to look at me, “Really?”</p>
<p>“If it’ll make you two pricks shut the fuck up, then yes, I’ll join.”</p>
<p>“Language,” Shue warns, “got an audition song planned out yet?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure.” I let my backpack slide down one of my arms.</p>
<p>Rachel smiles at me, “Great,” she turns around, “you can leave now, Puck. We’re going to start, and you’re no longer a part of this. Goodbye.”</p>
<p>“Maybe I wanted to hear her audition,” Noah crosses his arms over his chest.</p>
<p>“Well, too bad, New Directioners only.”</p>
<p>I don’t bother to look at either of them, going through my phone to see if I can find a backing track or not. When I find it, and look up again, Noah has left. I sigh quietly, holding my phone out to use the backing track to Shue. My song of choice, “Numb” by Linkin Park.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Slush Protection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As time goes by, more and more members of the club find themselves at a loss to not knowing why Ravan hasn't been slushied. Her being in the club isn't a secret, yet she still remains as the only member not to be hit with that icy syrup. To the other members, there's only one way to why she's protected.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been about two months since I joined the Glee club with Rachel, and we’re still short one or two people. I’m glad I had a doctor’s appointment the day they did that… <em>song</em>, against what Shue picked out. I saw the recording and I probably would have died if I had to do that too. Which he’s still pissed about, understandably.</p>
<p>Noah and I still sit next to each other during first hour, but nothing outside of it. Just small talk, some jokes here or there. Rachel doesn’t know about it; she can be stressful enough for me.</p>
<p>No one else in the club knows anything about this either, as no one shares the class with us. His flirting has gone up a few levels, but it’s fine. I don’t really return the flirting; I’m not interested in anything like that right now.</p>
<p>The bell rings, “I’ll talk to you later,” I give a small smile as I leave the room. As I turn the corner, I see Kurt and Mercedes. “Hey, guys.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Ravan.” Kurt smiles at me.</p>
<p>“How was first hour? Behaving yourself?” Mercedes jokes.</p>
<p>“Aha, you’re just too funny.” We start walking down the hallway. The three of us have the same second hour.</p>
<p>Turning a corner, something I’ve never seen happens. Kurt and Mercedes get Slushee thrown in their faces.</p>
<p>I stand there, shocked as the two people responsible walk away, laughing their asses off. “What the fuck was that?”</p>
<p>“Slushees,” Kurt wipes his face.</p>
<p>“But why?”</p>
<p>Their eyes scan over at me, “People know you’re in Glee club, right?” Mercedes asks.</p>
<p>“Well, yeah. I helped with one of the public performances, remember? I’m Rachel’s cousin, and she never shuts up about Glee club. It isn’t a secret.”</p>
<p>“You haven’t been slushed yet?”</p>
<p>“No, and that wouldn’t fly with me.”</p>
<p>The two of them exchange glances, “So, you haven’t been bullied or anything like that yet?”</p>
<p>“I don’t believe so.” I look at them, “I’ll see you later, I need to pick something up from the library.” I can still feel them looking at me as I walk away, only after turning a corner does the feeling go away.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Rachel and I are walking towards our lockers, “That Slushee thing,” I look at her, “does that happen a lot?”</p>
<p>“Depends on how much energy and money those guys have at their disposal.” She swings her locker door open, “It’ll get you at some point. Probably waiting until you’re more prominent in the club.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t suggest that,” I open my own locker, “you know I’ll beat someone’s ass.”</p>
<p>“I talked to Kurt and Mercedes earlier. You haven’t really been bullied, have you?”</p>
<p>“Kind of giving me anxiety every time one of you guys say that,” I force a laugh.</p>
<p>“It’s just odd, we’re all subjected to it. Even Artie, and he’s handicapped. It’s a little weird, y’know?”</p>
<p>“Well, it is when it’s put in that context.”</p>
<p>Rachel’s phone goes off, “Ugh, I forgot I had to help Finn move some things into the Glee room. I have to go pick up a few books from the library before it closes. Could you maybe help them?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” I pat her shoulder as I walk in the opposite direction from where Rachel was going.</p>
<p>I’m starting to get paranoid, they’ve all dealt with it, when is my turn? Maybe mine will be big, or they’re just going to make me <em>think </em>they’re going to do something and that’s the bullying itself. I try to shake those thoughts out of my head.</p>
<p>I walk into the room, “There’s not a whole lot here, what did you two need help with?” My hands are in my pockets, looking at the three or four boxes within the room.</p>
<p>“Because you and Finn will be carrying them,” Quinn states.</p>
<p>“And you can’t help because…”</p>
<p>“I’m head cheerleader, that’s why.”</p>
<p>I glance at Finn, “Pampered little brat, got it.”</p>
<p>“Ravan,” Finn glances back.</p>
<p>I shrug, picking up two of the boxes. Finn carries the other two, Quinn bitching about something to him. Lo and behold, I can finally tune her droning on out. We’re almost to the door to the Glee room.</p>
<p>Two guys wearing letterman jackets turns the corner, and it happens again. Quinn and Finn just got slushed, and again, I’m left alone.</p>
<p>Shue looks at the three of us, “I thought they stopped doing that.” He takes the boxes from Finn’s hands.</p>
<p>Finn is actually angry, something I haven’t seen yet either. “I’m going to kick their asses later, just watch.”</p>
<p>Quinn and Finn walk off to go get cleaned up. I walk into the room with Shue, “Spared again, Ravan?” Kurt asks, arms crossed.</p>
<p>“Look,” I put the boxes down, “I don’t know why they’re not throwing Slushees in my face.”</p>
<p>Rachel walks up to me, “If you were dating Puck, you’d tell me, right?”</p>
<p>“What in the actual fuck, Rachel.”</p>
<p>“Would you?”</p>
<p>I roll my eyes, “Yeah, not only would you know, but, and tell me if I’m wrong, wouldn’t the ENTIRE school know? His MO is everyone knows when you’re dating him as I’ve seen in the past few weeks, anyway. If you can call a four to seven-day fling a relationship.”</p>
<p>She sighs heavily, “You’re right.”</p>
<p>I look around the room, Quinn and Finn join the room. Their shirts still stained with the blue syrup. “You all think that?”</p>
<p>Everyone avoids eye contact, “Think what?” Finn asks.</p>
<p>“If you haven’t noticed,” Mercedes points at me, “Ravan over there is the only one of us in this room, <em>including </em>Mr. Shue, who hasn’t faced any bullying or wrath over being in the Glee club. We thought maybe she was dating Puck on the down low.”</p>
<p>“But then why is Finn not protected from it?” I cross my arms, “He and Noah are best friends, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>No one says anything, they just look around the room. As if maybe, they’ll spot an answer somewhere between the trophies and guitars. My arms tighten more, irritated by their conclusion.</p>
<p>“She has a point,” Kurt mutters, “if it were special treatment, Finn and Quinn wouldn’t be getting it either.”</p>
<p>“Exactly, but thanks for the trust guys. Really.” I’m bitter.</p>
<p>Shue finally looks at me, “But why would they come to that conclusion?”</p>
<p>“Because they’re idiots.” I glance off, “In actuality, probably because I,” I loudly gasp, “share a class with Noah in the morning.”</p>
<p>“What’s your class with him?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Eddy, history. First thing in the morning.”</p>
<p>He walks towards me, “You and him friends?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t necessarily say friends, more of…”</p>
<p>“Friends with benefits?” Quinn spits at me.</p>
<p>I look at her, “If you do not get the fuck up off my case, I’m going to unhinge your jaw so my fist will fit down your throat.” I then turn to look at the others, “You want to talk bullying outside this? This is the only stupid bitch who’s been saying shit to me. You want to focus on bullying? It exists within this club too.”</p>
<p>I grab my backpack, “I’m going home for the day, have fun, you fucking assholes.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Eighth Deadly Sin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After being broken down by Rachel's emotions, Ravan sadly agrees to do what's being asked of her, no matter how guilty it'll make her feel. Even after agreeing to play her part, three people send it right into a brick wall.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I enter the Glee room by myself today, and it looks like I’m walking into an intervention. “Give me a good reason not to turn around and leave right now.”</p>
<p>The door shuts behind me, “We just have a plan is all,” Finn starts ushering me to sit next to Rachel.</p>
<p>“Rachel, I swear to God.”</p>
<p>Shue slips in quickly through the door, “Ravan’s here. That’s good.”</p>
<p>I deadpan my stare at Rachel as I wait to hear their ‘plan’. She glances away, “Finn and Puck hung out yesterday.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>Finn clears his throat, “He’s under the impression that you have a thing for him.”</p>
<p>I look at him, “That sounds like a personal problem.”</p>
<p>“Look, I’ll be straight with you because you are with everyone else,” Shue sits down next to Kurt, “we need one more person before sectionals starts. No one else has came forward, and we all know for a fact that Puck <em>can </em>sing.”</p>
<p>“This is still sounding like a personal problem. The person just changes.”</p>
<p>“Ravan,” Rachel mutters, “we’re running out of time.”</p>
<p>“How about you pay him to help with sectionals?” I cross my arms, “Dude likes money, give him a hundred bucks or something.”</p>
<p>“I tried that,” Finn leans forward, “won’t bite. Doesn’t want to deal with the slushing and bullying, pretty much.”</p>
<p>“And this has what to do with me?”</p>
<p>Everyone kind of shifts at the same time, it’s almost comical if I wasn’t so agitated. As they avoid my eye contact, I continue to stew in my own anger. “Well…” Rachel whispers.</p>
<p>I start piecing things together, “No. My final answer is no.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know what we were going to ask,” Mercedes snaps.</p>
<p>“Oh, I know,” I stand up, “Because Noah thinks we’re clicking or whatever, you want me to, let me guess, flirt back until he joins?”</p>
<p>“We were thinking something a little further than that.” Finn finally looks at me.</p>
<p>“Rachel…”</p>
<p>“We were hoping you’d act like you have interest,” she won’t look at me, “maybe he’ll come back if you guys, you know, start dating or something.”</p>
<p>“Ah…” I nod, “Answer is still no.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because I’m not about to lead some guy on for a fucking singing competition, do you realize how fucked up that sounds? Emotionally play with someone, just so you can <em>maybe </em>get into the sectionals with them?” I’m stunned to hear such disregard for Noah’s feelings  </p>
<p>“I would hope you’d know better Rachel or at least the TEACHER IN THIS ROOM.” I shake my head, “I’ve heard of bullshit before, but are you kidding me?”</p>
<p>“It’s all we have left,” Finn mutters, “can’t get anyone else to come forward, and like we said, we know he can sing. Plus, he knows some of the choreography. It’s our best chance for getting through.”</p>
<p>“You guys have time,” I start walking towards the door.</p>
<p>“Ravan, please.” Rachel’s voice is breaking.</p>
<p>I turn around to look at her, and, indeed, she is crying. “I’m sorry, I can’t do it.”</p>
<p>“This is all I’ve wanted,” her cries get louder, “please. I need this, being a part of something special makes you special. This is special.”</p>
<p>I stare at Rachel for a minute as her tears turn into sobbing. I sigh heavily, “I’ll try, but I don’t think it will work.” She runs up and hugs me, I feel like I’m making a pact with the devil.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>I take a deep breath in as I walk down the line of bleachers to get as close to the football field as I can get. Finn and Noah are down on the field, practicing. The only reason why that fat coach let Finn come back is because he’s the best quarterback this school has. I’m supposed to sit within sight, so Finn can try to direct Noah over to me.</p>
<p>Football isn’t something I watch, it’s just boring to watch sports. I’d rather play them, honestly.</p>
<p>Noah finally looks over, and I lightly wave at him. He turns to Finn, maybe he’s already seen through all the bullshit. It’s not hard to miss.</p>
<p>Their practice goes on for a little longer, when they all head inside to the locker room, I try to quickly make my way off campus.</p>
<p>Before I can get through the gate, “Ravan!” Damn.</p>
<p>I turn around, “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Finn said you came to watch me practice,” he smiles, “was that true?”</p>
<p>Trying to force a laugh, “Maybe.”</p>
<p>“Where are you going?”</p>
<p>“Walking home,” I look over my shoulder, “it was nice watching you.”</p>
<p>“Mind if I walk with you?”</p>
<p>My heartbeat quickens, “N-no, it’s okay. I can walk myself.”</p>
<p>“It’s not a problem,” he tries to assure.</p>
<p>My mind goes straight to my parents screaming at each other, or dad never being home. Rachel doesn’t even know about how toxic my home life is, and I sure don’t want anyone else to know.</p>
<p>I’m sure he’s not taking no for an answer, “Okay, if you insist.”</p>
<p>We walk next to each other, out of the gate and onto the concrete. “Does Rachel know you came to watch me?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. I didn’t tell her, so unless Finn tells her, she shouldn’t know.”</p>
<p>He nods, “How come you never said anything in class?”</p>
<p>“Rachel is more preoccupied with things right now, so I figured to take the chance while it was here.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to go to BreadStix with me tomorrow?”</p>
<p>I look down, “Like, a date?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>I’m taken back from how easy and quick this was, I thought it would at least take a couple of days. My heartbeat slows down as we approach my house, no one is home. Both cars are gone.</p>
<p>“Well, thank you for walking me home,” I smile lightly.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow, say seven?” He returns a smile.</p>
<p>“Of course,” I open the gate to our house, making my way up the steps. I watch as he walks away, this guilt is going to kill me.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>I’m walking over to Mercedes house to meet Rachel, Kurt and her there. It’s three in the afternoon, my ‘date’ with Noah is at seven.</p>
<p>I get to her door and I ring the doorbell. The door swings open, “Finally!” Rachel is smiling as she leads me inside. When I walk into the living room, I take an empty seat away from the couch.</p>
<p>“So, Rachel says he’s already asked you to dinner?” Kurt leans forward.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” I roll my eyes, “tonight, at seven.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Rachel clasps her hands, “what are you going to wear?”</p>
<p>I slightly look down at what I’m wearing, denim shorts that stop above my knees. A black T-Shirt with a Nintendo 64 controller dead center. “Uh… What I’m wearing? It’s not that fancy a place, I’ve eaten there before.”</p>
<p>“You’re going to go on a date, dressed like that?” Mercedes asks.</p>
<p>“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with it. Not like it’s an extravagant venue.”</p>
<p>They blankly stare at me, “Ravan, you can’t be serious.” Rachel mutters.</p>
<p>“Fine, I’ll go throw on something classier.” I grab the doorknob.</p>
<p>A horn honks outside, as I open the door, I think it’s Lift or Uber or something. The stickers are too small for me to tell.  Their hands on my back as they push me out the door with them.</p>
<p>“I kind of figured you’d choose something like this,” Rachel climbs into the car, “so, I thought we could all go shopping.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>We are now in Kurt’s car that he had to ask the keys back for, but his dad was still at work while we went to the mall. I have my arms folded, “I feel like a prostitute, Rachel.”</p>
<p>“We have to be quick with this,” Kurt looks back at me.</p>
<p>“So, I gotta dress like a hooker?”</p>
<p>“Look,” Rachel looks at me, “you have certain… assets that can move this vehicle forward.” My eyes don’t leave her face, making her look away from me.</p>
<p>We, somehow, agreed on a corset dress, black and red plaid. The fucking thing is too short, my ass is barely covered, and I have to constantly remind myself to not bend over. The top is too tight, I’m barely keeping my chest in the clothing. I drew a hard line against wearing ridiculously high heels, me choosing ebony zip up short boots with an inch heel.</p>
<p>They had also tried to talk me into letting one of them do my makeup. I said I’d think about it, until I saw the outrageously long eyelashes. I don’t do those, nor do I use colors that don’t coordinate with what I’m wearing. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not to place out bright blue eyeshadow, but I wasn’t taking any chances.</p>
<p>I didn’t put on much, just something a little bit more than my usual makeup. I went with a smokey eye look, winged eyeliner. There’s a light pink shaded blush, which is brought out more through the highlights I did. I finished it off with a wine-red matte lipstick.</p>
<p>As for my hair, I left it down per usual, I just straightened it. My hair is naturally wavey, so figured I’d change something about it.  </p>
<p>“I dress baggy for a reason, Rachel. I’d rather <em>not </em>let everyone know what fucking kind of underwear I’m wearing.”</p>
<p>“Shhh!” Mercedes pushes my head down, “Puck just went in.”</p>
<p>“I guess I should go in,” I open my door, “I’m saying this again, this is some fucking horseshit.” I slam the door shut.</p>
<p>I take a deep breath, my hand on the handle. Opening the door, my eyes glance around the restaurant, catching the back of his head. I walk over to him, my hand brushing against his shoulder as I go pass him to sit down in front of him.</p>
<p>He stares at me for a moment, “Yo… You look really beautiful.”</p>
<p>I smile, “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t even know that this is what was under your clothes,” still looking me over, “they’re super baggy.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” I hide my face with the menu, “Kind of the point, but I figured since this was a date, it was okay to dress up a little.”</p>
<p>“This is a little? What does a lot look like?”</p>
<p>I snicker slightly, “Oh, I don’t know. Two post-its and a sugar packet?”</p>
<p>“Very funny.”</p>
<p>My mind tries to push the guilt away from the forefront, it’s eating at me. I give another smile, before glancing over to the window. They’re watching us, not even trying to be inconspicuous.</p>
<p>I shoot my eyes back at Noah, “So, how was your day?”</p>
<p>“It was pretty chill,” his eyes shoot to the window, “you see someone or something?”</p>
<p>“I thought I did,” I force a small laugh, “was just the reflection from the lights.”</p>
<p>“How’s the club been going?”</p>
<p>“It’s been going good,” I fold my hands on the table, “still working around being a member or so short. Other than that, it’s going good.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad that it’s not going under without me,” he smiles, “but I guess you’re a good buoy, then.”</p>
<p>“A slightly drowning buoy, to be more honest. But everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.”</p>
<p>Noah looks towards the window again, “I swear I just saw Kurt.”</p>
<p>“Really?” I look over with him, “I don’t see anything.”</p>
<p>He seems agitated, “Are you sure Rachel isn’t stalking you?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know why she would.”</p>
<p>“Because she doesn’t like me,” he stands from the table.</p>
<p>I panic internally, “Where are you going?”</p>
<p>“Just going to look outside.”</p>
<p>Quickly, I follow right behind him. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The First Bond</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Per usual, Ravan cleans up after Rachel's mess, barely saving the night. However, Rachel isn't as grateful as she should be.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Quickly, I follow right behind him. These idiots just had to drop me off and leave, they don’t have a single brain cell between them. When he opens the door, he looks directly at the three of them peeking into the window.</p>
<p>Before he can say anything, “What the fuck are you doing here, Rachel?”</p>
<p>“W-what?”</p>
<p>I stand in front of Noah, “Why are you spying on me? Are you still mad about him not being in the club?”</p>
<p>Kurt clears his throat, “No, but we don’t need you getting whisked away with a quitter.”</p>
<p>Rachel blankly looks at me, then it finally dawns on her what I’m doing. Saving her ass, yet again. She huffs, “I don’t want you talking to someone who hurt me!”</p>
<p>“I’m an adult, Rachel,” I look down at her, “If I want to go on a date with Noah, then I’m going to do it,” gesturing towards the building, “obviously.”</p>
<p>“But why?”</p>
<p>“Because I can.”</p>
<p>“You know what,” she storms up to me, “this is just to piss me off, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah,” I roll my eyes, “I took a few hours getting ready, coming to an establishment to meet someone I’m going on a date with ONLY to make you mad. Why would I waste that much time, when I could do something that is free?”</p>
<p>She looks at Noah, “Leave my cousin alone.”</p>
<p>“If she doesn’t want me to leave her alone, then I’m not.” Noah stands next to me, obviously bewildered as to what was going on.</p>
<p>“Free?” Mercedes asks, “what could you do for free?”</p>
<p>I try to give them one more out, “Plenty. But you don’t want to see me with him, so I think you should just leave, because I don’t give a shit about what you think.”</p>
<p>Kurt takes a step towards us, “Prove it.”</p>
<p>These three are bigger idiots than I thought, Rachel should’ve stormed off by now. Something to end this, but they got really pulled into it. They’ve backed me into a corner, and I give one more time to leave with my eyes darting to the left. It’s not noticed, and I shrug at them.</p>
<p>I grab Noah’s collar with both of my hands, pulling him towards me until I could place my lips against his. He’s stunned for a moment, his hands grabbing onto my waist. One glance towards them shows them in shock.</p>
<p>I pull away, “There’s one way, would you like to see more? My dress is short enough, y’know?”</p>
<p>“Nope, no, I’m good.” Kurt backs away slightly.</p>
<p>Rachel’s jaw is still on the floor, “Vulgar,” she muttered.</p>
<p>My hand entwines with Noah, “We can go somewhere else,” I start leading him in the other direction.</p>
<p>“Don’t do this!” Rachel shouts at us as we leave.</p>
<p>Once we’re around the corner, “That was… something.” He mutters.</p>
<p>“I swear, she’s just so suffocating sometimes.”</p>
<p>“Where are we going, by the way?”</p>
<p>We stop walking, “I don’t know, I just wanted to be away from them.”</p>
<p>“Well,” he glances off, “my mother and sister are out of town.”</p>
<p>“What about your dad?”</p>
<p>Noah’s eyebrows dip slightly, “He’s, uh… he left my mom a long time ago.”</p>
<p>I can’t help but deeply feel about how shitty fathers could be his can be exhibit A and my father is exhibit B. “Yeah… my dad’s kind of a piece of shit too.”</p>
<p>We both stand there for a moment, “So, we could go to my house.” He clears his throat.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>I’m straddling Noah while he sits on his couch, his hands trying to get under the tight dress I regrettably agreed to wear. Maybe it’s a plus that it’s too tight for his hands to get anywhere.</p>
<p>I don’t know how long we’ve been making out for, but I’ve felt a certain area a few times. Ready to do something that isn’t happening.</p>
<p>I pull away, “It’s getting late, I should start heading home,” I slide off to sit next to him.</p>
<p>Noah glances over at me, “I suppose you’re right.” We sit in silence for a moment, glancing back and forth for a moment. “Your dad is an asshole too?”</p>
<p>Looking down, “Yeah, no offense, but I kind of wish that he would just leave.”</p>
<p>“What does he do?”</p>
<p>“Nothing, I need to go home.” I stand up, I don’t like talking about my parents. My hands start fiddling with my phone to set up a taxi.</p>
<p>He looks at me for a minute, “If he’s an asshole, he has to be doing something.”</p>
<p>I sigh, “He’s just really emotionally and mentally abusive,” my eyes don’t leave my phone, “just a regular old prick.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s not your fault,” I finish arranging a taxi, “I’m almost able to get away from them, so that’s a plus.”</p>
<p>There’s another spell of quiet, he pulls me down to sit next to him. His arm goes over my shoulders, and I rest my head on his shoulder. I just listen to his breathing, it’s nice someone knows what it’s like to have a shit parent. My hand finds his, enfolding them together.</p>
<p>The way people told me about who Noah was, and what I’ve picked up seems off. I mean, he’s kind of a jerk and a womanizer, but I don’t think that’s how I personally would describe him. Maybe because I know that him being a dick is a way to cope with his home life.</p>
<p>Just like me shutting down at the mention of parents, trying to find any way away from the conversation.</p>
<p>My phone goes off to let me know my ride his here, “My taxi is here.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Noah disappears for a moment into his room, returning with his letterman jacket. He holds it out to me, “You can wear this home.”</p>
<p>I gently take it, putting it on me. It’s too big for me, but it did cover my dress quite a bit. “Thank you,” I smile up at him.</p>
<p>“Of course,” he opens the door for me. He walks me out to my ride. He opens the car door for me, stealing one more kiss before I get in. “Have a nice night, I’ll see you Monday?”</p>
<p>I nod, “See you Monday.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>“What the hell!” Rachel yells at me while we’re in the Glee room. Kurt and Mercedes are also in the room with us. “Did you really have to do that?”</p>
<p>“Do what?” I put my hands on my hips, “I gave you guys multiple outs to fuck off, and you didn’t! What the fuck was I supposed to do? You three being so fucking dense backed me into a corner.”</p>
<p>“I will admit, I did get a little too into it,” Kurt shrugs.</p>
<p>“Well, what happened after you two left us?” Mercedes asks, her arms are crossed.</p>
<p>I glance away, “We went to his place for a while. And no, before you even say it, we didn’t have sex. Just because you three dressed me like a hooker, doesn’t mean I acted that way.”</p>
<p>Our conversation was broken by Shue entering the room, “Hooker?”</p>
<p>“My date with Noah,” I roll my eyes, “these three put me in a dress too small and way too tight. When I finally got home to take it off, I had to use baby oil to get the thing off.”</p>
<p>“Other than that, how’d it go?”</p>
<p>Finn slips in next, “Pretty well, from what Puck told me.”</p>
<p>I roll my eyes, “It was quite a nice time, baring these three dumbasses almost ruining the whole thing.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Shue glances at them.</p>
<p>“All they had to do was drop me off and leave. Instead, they stay and get spotted by Noah. Everything would’ve been fine if you three just LEFT.” I look at my watch, “I have to get to first period. See you guys later.”</p>
<p>Without giving them a minute to say anything, I’m already through the door. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Something Special</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In hopes of finally bringing Puck back to Glee Club, the six illusionists call upon a powerful emotion. </p>
<p>Jealousy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>My first hour isn’t far from the Glee room, which is lucky. The door is propped open, I make my way to the desk I always sit at.</p>
<p>I’m able to read a few pages before someone pokes my book. Looking up, Noah plants a kiss. “Good morning,” he sits down next to me.</p>
<p>“Good morning,” I smile. A few people are looking over at us, but I just shrug them away.</p>
<p>The teacher strolls in, obviously hung over. He starts his usual spiel, just a bit slower and angrier. Noah grabs my hand to hold under the desks. I don’t mind it, it’s quite nice. When the bell finally rings, we leave the room together.</p>
<p>Rachel approaches us, “We need to talk,” she glances at him.</p>
<p>“What about?”</p>
<p>“Something.”</p>
<p>I roll my eyes, “I’ll see you later, Noah. Gotta make sure I keep princess happy.”</p>
<p>Noah shoots her a glare, “Alright.”</p>
<p>When he tries to walk away, I’m still holding onto his hand. He realizes this and turns around to look at me. I stand on my tiptoes, pulling his hand closer to me. A small smirk forms on his face, leaning towards me so I could reach his lips.  </p>
<p>Rachel and I walk away, “Really?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You know what.”</p>
<p>“I’m dating him, aren’t I? I believe that’s normal behavior.”</p>
<p>We enter the Glee room, Shue, Kurt and Finn are the only ones waiting for us. “Things are going good, right?” Shue walks over to us.</p>
<p>“I would say so,” Rachel side eyes me, “Little kisses and all.”</p>
<p>Finn shakes his head, “Puck is no closer to coming back.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” I’m genuinely confused, I thought everything was going pretty well.</p>
<p>“He’s completely into this, don’t get me wrong. However, he just doesn’t see the reason, as Ravan gave off the vibe that we’re doing a-okay.”</p>
<p>I glance down, “I said I was a drowning buoy, not a good one.”</p>
<p>“Ravannah.” Rachel slaps her forehead.</p>
<p>“Alright, smartasses,” I cross my arms, “what’s the next step?”</p>
<p>Everyone looks around, “I got one, actually.” Finn stands up, “Jealousy.”</p>
<p>“Hmm?”</p>
<p>“Look, Puck can get really jealous, real fast. Maybe if we implied that other dudes were looking at you, it might piss him off enough to return to the club. If anyone has a better idea, let me know,” he then sits back down.</p>
<p>“No, that’s a great idea,” Shue beams, “but how do we imply it?”</p>
<p>Rachel looks at me, “Well, we could try to use the assets again.”</p>
<p>“No, not again. Just because you’re flat as a board doesn’t mean just because I’m not, I have to dress that way.”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately,” Kurt buts in, “that’s what makes teenage guys to look. Hormones and all that.”</p>
<p>I throw my head back, “Fine, I’ll figure out something myself. Especially, since everyone wants to throw me on a corner at any chance they get.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Puck’s POV</span>
</p>
<p>I’m walking with Finn during lunch, eating a bag of chips I bought. “So,” Finn sips from his can, “how’s everything with Ravan?”</p>
<p>“Really good,” I smile, “she’s nothing like the other girls I’ve dated.”</p>
<p>“I’m really glad to hear that, I’d be a little… intimidated.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“I mean,” he puts his hands up, “sometimes, when I look at Quinn, I can’t believe that she’s mine, you know? But Ravan, well, she’s something… else.”</p>
<p>I stop walking, “What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“She’s just a head turner,” he glances away.</p>
<p>I follow his glance, I haven’t seen Ravan today. I was late, I barely made it on time to second hour. There she is. She’s wearing a tight, video-game clad T-Shirt, and shorts that are barely allowed by the dress code. A clipboard in her hand, laughing as three assholes took turns doing stupid, stale dance moves.</p>
<p>I already know how hot Ravan is, I don’t need Finn to mention it. I don’t need other guys even looking in her direction to know that she’s gorgeous from head to toe.</p>
<p>I mean, her eyes alone, I’ve never seen silver eyes before in my life. Or how her smile shows how full her lips are and how her cheekbones press against the bottom of her eyes.</p>
<p>Physically… Amazing, honestly. She’s not a whole lot shorter than me, she’s five-eight, I think. She’s super curvy too, her body looks like an hourglass. Not sure how boob sizes work, but hers are pretty big and her hips are wide. Her legs are long, her thighs are thick and she’s just really hot.</p>
<p>Ravan also treats me completely different than anyone has treated me in my whole life. She’s never insulted me; she’s never called me stupid. We share two classes together, so I’m sure she’s aware of how stupid I actually am. I’m aware of how smart she is.</p>
<p>Instead of being a dick, she explains to me how something actually worked, or how my answer was wrong, and she helps me understand why it was wrong.</p>
<p>Finn’s right, she’s something else. Not something else physically, she’s something else when it comes to who she is inside and I’m lucky to have her.</p>
<p>Leaving Finn behind, I quickly walk towards her. The moment I’m within eyesight, those three douchebags scatter like roaches. She turns to look at me, “There you are,” she hugs me, “Why weren’t you in first hour?”</p>
<p>“My alarm clock didn’t go off,” my eyes still fixed towards where those dudes were, “so, uh… What were they doing?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” She shows me the clipboard, “I’m trying to get more people to sign up, and I think I’m doing a really good job. Look at all the names I have down so far.”</p>
<p>I take the clipboard, and every name on this page are guys. No girls. Just guys. “Talk to any girls about it?” I try to quip.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but they didn’t have the same interest.”</p>
<p>Of course, they didn’t. “Well, I’m happy that you’re getting names. Want to go to a movie tonight?” I grab her hand.</p>
<p>“Oh…” she mutters, “I can’t. Shue wants me to help with the auditions from who signed up today. I’m sorry, we can do something like that tomorrow.”</p>
<p>I tighten my grip slightly, “I understand.”</p>
<p>Ravan looks up at me, still smiling. I take one more look at the clipboard, noting if I notice any of the names that had signed up. Which, I don’t, honestly.</p>
<p>Remembering that Finn was with us, “You needed to show me something, right?”</p>
<p>Finn looks at me, “Uh, yeah?”</p>
<p>Cupping Ravan’s face, I give her a rough kiss. I know those assholes are still looking at her, and they can’t have her. She’s mine. “I’ll see you later.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Ravan’s POV</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>I’m sitting in between Rachel and Shue, but the others are here. Except for Finn and Noah, we don’t know where they are. We’re watching yet another train wreck of an audition by another guy who signed my list. This is getting hard to sit through; I didn’t mean to allow this many to sign up.</p>
<p>“That was a nice effort, but…” Shue mutters slightly.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen a pile of trash bags that had more talent than you.” Santana jokes.</p>
<p>“That’s enough,” he looks over his shoulder, “thank you for auditioning.”</p>
<p>The guy flips us off as he slinks his way off the stage, and I hope we’re almost done. I don’t get why we brought the instruments in here, none of them knew how to use them. It was such a pain in the ass that we didn’t need.</p>
<p>“Next,” I call out, hoping there wasn’t anyone else.</p>
<p>A small group of people walk onto the stage, including Finn. They each grabbed an instrument, looking to the left side of the stage. The music starts, Noah walking out on stage with his guitar. I lean forward, butterflies appear in my stomach. I know the song too, “Check Yes, Juliet” by We the Kings.</p>
<p>When the song finishes, the rest of us clap. “Welcome back, Puck.” Shue smiles.</p>
<p>I leave my seat, rushing down the aisle towards the stage. Noah hops down, throwing my arms around him as soon as I could. “Do you check yes?” He jokes.</p>
<p>“Of course,” I look over at the seated group, “Well, I think you fixed the issue, so we don’t need those other names. We can go to the mall, now.”</p>
<p>Noah nods, “Sounds like a plan.”</p>
<p>The two of us wave at the others as we make our way to the exit, his arm around my waist. “Wish you showed up earlier,” I groan, “so many crap auditions.”</p>
<p>“They were all crap?”</p>
<p>“I mean, they weren’t good. There were a couple of maybes, but they were nothing special. You, however, extremely are.”</p>
<p>He stops walking for a moment, causing me to look up at him. “You really mean that?”</p>
<p>He seems almost shocked by the comment, “Yes, I do.” Grabbing his other hand to pull him closer to me, “You are something special, Noah. Even if you don’t think so.”</p>
<p>We stand in silence for a moment, me waiting to hear him reply to me. Crickets starting to make their music, the sun almost disappearing behind some buildings.</p>
<p>Noah hugs me tightly to his chest; I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. I’m slightly standing on my tiptoes; his face is buried into my neck.</p>
<p>When he pulls away, he tries to hide a slight sniffle. “Thank you, Ravan.”</p>
<p>“Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s just…” he glances off, “I’m just so used to people being mean to me, calling me stupid every other sentence. It just caught me off guard.”</p>
<p>My eyebrows dip, “If anyone calls you stupid, you can let me know.”</p>
<p>I know that I’m still relatively new to this school and all the people in it, but where the fuck do they get off on treating someone like this? That they’re completely shocked that someone is treating them as they would want to be treated, like a human being. It makes me incredibly mad, and I know that Noah isn’t a saint either.</p>
<p>Noah gives a small laugh, “If you say so.”</p>
<p>I’m still angry, “I’m serious.”</p>
<p>“Are you mad at me?”</p>
<p>“Not you,” I clench my fists slightly, “It’s just a little upsetting to me that you were surprised that someone was being a decent human being to you.”</p>
<p>“That’s just how a lot of people are,” he tries to brush it away, “some people are just assholes.”</p>
<p>I sigh heavily, “Yeah… I know. I’m still pissed about it, though.”</p>
<p>“And that means something to me too,” his hand grabs mine, “c’mon, we have plans, remember?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Snap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Puck and Ravan departed from the school, they make a small side trip, slip from the mall and decide the movie they're seeing will be at Casa de Puckerman. </p><p>However, someone else is getting a surprise tonight and neither of them were prepared for it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Noah and I are walking through the mall, I’m munching on a pretzel that he bought me. Hand in hand, we’re just glancing at stores. His hand tugs me towards a small kiosk. It’s for piercings, some sort of sale going on. “Look,” he says as he points toward the sign.</p><p>The sign reads ‘Two for one’, you buy one piercing, the other one is free. “Uh-huh,” I nod once.</p><p>He nudges me closer, “Two for one, sounds pretty sweet, right?”</p><p>“I’m not getting pierced, Noah.”</p><p>“Aww, come on. It’ll be cool.” He looks over the different piercings for a moment, I’m still eating my pretzel. “We can both get our nipples pierced.”</p><p>“No,” my arm presses against my chest, “there is no way in hell I’m getting a nip pierced.”</p><p>“Well, I’m going to get mine pierced,” he sits down in the chair. He removes his shirt, holding it out to me to take.</p><p>I watch as the piercer put some kind of salve on his future piercing area. It’s to numb it a bit before they do the actual piercing. “What else are you getting? Two for one, y’know?”</p><p>“Don’t know,” he glances at me.</p><p>My arms cross as I watch as the piercer gets ready to pierce him. Holding this tweezer that had holes on both sides to slide the needle through. The needle looks really thick, and I’m already wincing for him. “You’re going to feel a little pinch.”</p><p>Noah’s eyes widen as the needle is pushed through the tweezers, “Holy shit!” He looks at the piercer, “I thought that was supposed to numb it!”</p><p>“Not all the way,” he’s holding a tissue over the newly pierced nip.</p><p>I look at Noah, “Looks pretty good.”</p><p>“Y-yeah…” He’s a little shaky after he puts his shirt back on. “C’mon, get something. It’s free.”</p><p>“Noah…” I mutter.</p><p>“Don’t make me suffer alone.”</p><p>“You’re making it sound really painful, so that is making it rather easy to say no again.” I glance over the small list of things that he could pierce. After taking another look at Noah, doing this little puppy face. “Ugh, fine…”</p><p>“Sweet!” He pats the chair for me.</p><p>“I’m getting my bellybutton pierced.”</p><p>“Kind of hoping for the nip piercing.”</p><p>“Kind of take it or leave it.”</p><p>Noah puts his hands up, “Okay, okay.”</p><p>We go through the same procedure as before, just a different location. As he starts to put the needle through, I can’t feel it. The moment it breaks through the top, I make a small, internal grunt. Fuck that hurt. “Jesus.”</p><p>The two of us start walking away, holding where the pain was on our bodies. “That was fun…” he mutters.</p><p>“Are we still going to see a movie?”</p><p>Noah’s arm finds it way around my waist again, “Yeah, at my house.”</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The movie we had put on is nothing more than background noise to the room. Noah had his hand under my shirt, there wasn’t a whole lot of time of us watching the movie. We’re at a point further than the last time we were in his house, but still a stop short of… well… you know.</p><p>Grinding against each other, my phone goes off again. I pull away, “Let me answer this time,” my voice is broken.</p><p>Noah removes his hand, holding my phone out to me. “It’s just Rachel.”</p><p>I take my phone from him, “Hello?”</p><p>
  <em>“Where are you?”</em>
</p><p>“I’m still out with Noah.”</p><p>
  <em>“Out where?”</em>
</p><p>“At the mall.”</p><p>
  <em>“Thought you were seeing a movie?” </em>
</p><p>I roll my eyes; Noah is kissing my neck. “We’re waiting for the movie to start.”</p><p>
  <em>“What movie?”</em>
</p><p>“Why does it even matter?”</p><p>
  <em>“Because I’m here with Finn and Kurt. We were going to catch the movie with you guys.”</em>
</p><p>I can tell he heard what she said, he pulls away from me and his eyes shoot to my phone. “Oh, uh… What mall did you guys go to?”</p><p>
  <em>“The only mall within walking distance of the school. Where in the mall are you two?”</em>
</p><p>I sigh, “We’re not at the mall anymore. He and I got into an argument, alright? I’m at home, I don’t know where he is.”</p><p>
  <em>“A fight? What about? Is everything okay?”</em>
</p><p>“Yeah… it was over something really dumb. I think he was upset already…”</p><p>There are murmurs from her side of the phone, slightly hearing Finn ask if it was about the flirting thing from earlier. <em>“Was it because of those other guys today?”</em></p><p>“I think so,” he’s motioning me to hang up the phone. “I gotta- “</p><p>Before I can hang up the phone, his phone goes off. Freaking out, he throws it into the chair across the room. <em>“That was his ringtone, I know it was. What are you two doing?”</em></p><p>“I, uh…”</p><p>
  <em>“If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, that’s just way too much for something so simple.” </em>
</p><p>Noah’s eyebrows furrow slightly, “What is she talking about?” He’s quiet.</p><p>“Something so simple? Do you mean because we haven’t been <em>dating </em>very long? That’s a little rude, and a little invasive of my own privacy, Rachel. You’re doing an overbearing repeat again, like <em>when the three of you </em>stalked me on my date.”</p><p><em>“Hang up, hang up, hang up!” </em>Kurt’s voice isn’t as quiet as he might think it is.</p><p>I go to return an answer, she hangs up on me. I look at my phone for a moment, “That was…odd.”</p><p>Noah nods, “I think our entire friend group is odd,” he sets my phone back down on the side table. His own phone goes off, but he ignores it. Our lips meet again, however his phone is going off over and over. “What the fuck, man.”</p><p>Angrily, he stomps over to where he tossed his phone. “Finn,” he rolls his eyes. Answering his phone, “Hello?”</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, so, uh… Rachel is kind of losing her shit. Where are you two?”</em>
</p><p>“That sounds like a personal problem.”</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, haha… Are you two…”</em>
</p><p>“Are we what?” His voice is clearly pissed off.</p><p>
  <em>“What’s with the attitude, man?”</em>
</p><p>He looks over at me, “Because of Rachel’s stupid little phone call, Ravan got irritated and went home. Really glad for the cockblock, dude. Seriously, thanks.”</p><p>
  <em>“My bad… I tried to talk Rachel out of it, but you know that didn’t work. You’re at home, then?”</em>
</p><p>“Yeah, but to be honest, I’m really mad. I'm sick of everyone meddling in our business. I want to be left alone. I’ll talk to you later.”</p><p>
  <em>“Alright… see you later.” </em>
</p><p>Noah turns his phone off, returning next to me on the bed. He then turns my own phone off, “Wait, now Rachel thinks I went home, won’t- “</p><p>I can’t finish my sentence before he’s back on top of me, “Pretty sure Finn will do me a solid and tell her nothing.”</p><p>Smiling, his hand is running up the back of my shirt, “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Trying,” his hand is between my shoulder blades, “the bra is irritating.”</p><p>I let out a small laugh, “I don’t wear ones with snaps in the back. I hate those.”</p><p>“Then where is it?”</p><p>It’s quiet for a moment, thinking if I want to go that far or not. There’s a difference between under my bra and having no bra at all. I lift my shirt, gesturing to the snap between my breasts.</p><p>Instead of unsnapping my bra, he pulls my shirt off completely. Which is fair, his isn’t on anymore either. My heart slams against my chest when the snap is removed.</p><p>Noah tosses my bra towards where he tossed my shirt. He pulls me to straddle him. My arm is covering my chest still, “You okay?”</p><p>I breathe in deep, “Y-yeah… it’s just that no one has seen my chest before.”</p><p>“Did you want to stop?”</p><p>Shaking my head, I place my hands on either side of him. “No, it’s fine. Just new to this.”</p><p>His eyes are staring directly at my chest, “If you want to at any time, we can.”</p><p>“Thank you,” I lean forwards to find his lips. We heat back up again, the movie we had playing seems to loop again.</p><p>The only reason I knew why was because it made a really loud noise and startled me. “Did you make a noise?”</p><p>Noah is looking at the ceiling, “Kind of… hurt me when you jumped.”</p><p>“Hurt?”</p><p>“Think of where you’re positioned at.”</p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>He props himself up on his elbows, he’s looking towards my shorts. “How far are you comfortable going?”</p><p>I think for a moment, “I don’t really know… I’m a virgin.” I’m a tad more comfortable with not having a top on, not by much, but I don’t feel the need to cover myself.</p><p>His eyes don’t move, “Well… are you comfortable with doing things lesser than actual sex?”</p><p>Before I can even answer, his bedroom door flies open, “Hey, so I brought piz— HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!”</p><p>“Oh, my God!” I cross my arms tightly over my chest.</p><p>“Finn!” Noah sits up, “What the fuck, dude?!”</p><p>“I THOUGHT SHE WENT HOME!” Finn’s eyes are still on my chest.</p><p>“CAN YOU GET OUT FOR A MINUTE?!”</p><p>Finn shuts the door, and I immediately go for my bra and shirt. “Oh, my, God…” I mutter, trying to snap my bra back on while my hands shake rapidly.</p><p>Noah runs his hand through is mohawk, “I am, so, so, so sorry. I told him to fuck off, you heard me.”</p><p>“I know, I know…” My shirt is back on.</p><p>“So, uh…” Finn begins through the door, “I still have pizza and beer…”</p><p>“You can come back in,” Noah is rubbing his face.</p><p>Finn walks over to the two of us, him not making any eye contact with me. “I’m sorry, Ravan. I thought you went home.”</p><p>“It’s okay…” I mutter, “I’m going to set up an uber…”</p><p>“When did you get your nip pierced, dude?”</p><p>“At the mall, earlier.” Noah pulls me to sit on his lap, not mentioning that I’m also pierced. “Did you want any of the food or a drink?”</p><p>I shake my head, “I’m not hungry, and I don’t drink beer. I drink, but just not beer. It’s gross.”</p><p>Finn flips the light switch and he stares at us, “Rachel is going to lose her fucking mind.”</p><p>“Don’t tell her what you saw!” I snap.</p><p>“No, I mean,” he grabs his door mirror, “you two are snitching yourselves out.”</p><p>The both of us look to the mirror, and we glance at each other. We both have very visible hickeys, “Well… At least it’s Friday night. They should be less noticeable by Monday, if not, we can just use makeup.”</p><p>My phone goes off, “My ride’s here.”</p><p>Noah stands up, “I’ll walk you out.” The two of us leave Finn behind in his room, he still couldn’t look at me when he says good night. “I’ll kick his ass, don’t you worry.”</p><p>“He didn’t know any better,” I look at him, “he thought I went home. It was just a mistake.”</p><p>“No, I know. I just need to give him some slight amnesia, so he forgets about what your boobs look like.”</p><p>I slap my forehead, “I’ll text you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Hey,” he tilts my chin up, “everything will be fine.” He kisses me, “Let me know when you at least get home, please.”</p><p>“I will.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Cracking Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Finn's surprise that night not only caused Ravan and Puck to be upset, but it also caused issues with two other parties.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I try to sneak into my house, hoping both of my parents are asleep. At least doing something, so that they won’t notice me. I don’t hear any screaming, but I also can’t hear anything else. The stairs squeak slightly, my breath is being held in my lungs.</p><p>“Where the fuck were you?” My dad’s voice comes from behind.</p><p>My hand is still resting on the handle to my bedroom, “I was hanging out with Rachel and some other people from Glee club.”</p><p>His steps stomp up to me, pushing me into the bathroom. The light was on, “Oh, really? Rachel was present when you were being a whore?” He gestures to my neck.</p><p>I slap my hand over it, “It’s just from a stupid game of truth or dare.”</p><p>My dad’s hand collides against the left side of my face, sending me to the ground. He’s a big guy, six-three and built like a tank. “Keep lying, Ravannah. Keep fucking lying.”</p><p>Using the door handle to stand up, “It was stupid to do the dare, I understand that…”</p><p>He shoves me again, my back hitting the edge of the tub. “What’s all the fucking noise?” Oh, great.</p><p>“Seems your daughter takes more after you than I once thought,” he looks down at me, “lying little slut seems to come from your side of the family.”</p><p>My mom is now looking at me as well, “Why are you covered in hickeys?”</p><p>“W-we’re playing truth or dare,” I’m trying not to cry, “it was stupid to take the dare, I know it was.”</p><p>“Then why the fuck did you do it?”</p><p>“I’m just trying to fit in.”</p><p>“You are so worthless, Ravannah, I swear.” My dad goes downstairs.</p><p>I look to my mom, she isn’t physically abusive towards me, but she’s still abusive. Taking a swig of whatever alcoholic drink is in her glass, “Jesus Christ…” she mutters, going off towards their bedroom.</p><p>I shut the door to my room quietly behind me, tears streaming my face. Finding the light switch, my dad’s hand is visible where he slapped me. I have no idea if I’m bruised from the tub, but it really hurts. Kicking off my shoes, I gently curl up on my bed and try to hush my crying.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>I’m at my locker, my back still in a lot of pain and is a deep purple across my shoulders. I ignored everyone all weekend, I spent most of it sleeping to escape my parents. Usually, they’re working on weekends, but just not this weekend.</p><p>“There you are,” Noah pulls me tightly to him, I try to hide the wince from my shoulders, “you never called me, and you didn’t answer me.”</p><p>“Sorry,” I mutter, “stuff just kind of came up.”</p><p>“All weekend?”</p><p>“Yeah…” I begin towards our first class.</p><p>Anytime the physical abuse happens, my whole body seems to be shut down by my brain. The yelling, the degrading name calling they do just falls off my body the moment their oxygen leaves their lungs.</p><p>I can take it; I can take being called every vial of venom that sizzles out of their throats. I can’t handle the hitting, slapping, shoving, punching, kicking or being hit with objects by my mother.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine… just tired.”</p><p>Noah stops me, “Is this because of what happened on Friday? I told Finn to forget that night even happened.”</p><p>“No, Noah… I’m just tired.”</p><p>He pulls me into a less busy hallway, “Ravan… I know something’s wrong.”</p><p>“I’m really okay.”</p><p>He glances around, “C’mon,” he grabs my hand.</p><p>“Where are we going?”</p><p>“Somewhere.”</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Puck’s POV</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>Ravan and I are at a small coffee shop, ditching school. There’s something wrong, and I know there is. She’s not an over bubbly person, but the small little shines in her eyes are gone right now. She’s just staring down at her coffee, mixing it slowly.</p><p>I grab her other hand, and she doesn’t really do anything. “Ravan, what happened?”</p><p>“I told you, nothing,” even her voice sounds off.</p><p>I stare at her for a minute, she still isn’t looking at me. She wouldn’t answer any of us this weekend. Not even Rachel. We were going to go over to her house on Saturday, but somehow Finn talked us out of it. I understand why, but there’s no way the others understood why. “Baby?”</p><p>“I said it was nothing, Puck, now fucking drop it.” She snaps, finally making eye contact with me.</p><p>“Now, I know something happened. You’ve never called me Puck,” I’m trying not to get mad.</p><p>“Just, stop please…”</p><p>It almost slams into my head, “Your dad did something, didn’t he?” Her lip quivers slightly, before she breaks down into tears. I slip into her side of the booth, pulling her to my chest. “What happened?”</p><p>“You can’t tell anyone,” she’s still sobbing, and hearing it is hurting me.</p><p>“Of course, I won’t.” Ravan leans forward, pulling the back of her shirt enough until I can see a large, dark purple bruise completely across her shoulder blades. I see red immediately, “He fucking did that?”</p><p>“He shoved me, and I fell against the tub when I got home Friday.”</p><p>“Was it because of the hickeys…?”</p><p>“Not really,” she runs her wrists under her eyes, “he would’ve found something else to go after. He takes the smallest of things to excuse his behavior of yelling at me and hitting me.”</p><p>“Rachel doesn’t know about your dad being a prick?”</p><p>“No, she has no idea. Both of my parents are like that, my mom just never hits me. She just tears me apart verbally.”</p><p>I look at her, “Is there something I can do?”</p><p>She shrugs, “There isn’t much to do. I can’t go anywhere. I can’t do anything against him because he’ll literally crush me.”</p><p>My mind rushes while I rub the middle of her back, “Maybe you can go stay with Rachel? She’s your family.”</p><p>“The moment I bring up my dad being abusive to any family member, is the moment that he’ll make sure I can’t say anything else.” She scratches at the table, “The two of them act like such doting parents in public, they’re so good at it that people praise them for being such ‘loving parents’ and that ‘I’m so lucky to have them’.”</p><p>“There’s gotta be something I can do…”</p><p>Ravan looks at me, kissing me softly. “Knowing there’s someone I can confide in and knowing that you understand parents being fucking dicks is you doing something.”</p><p>I don’t say anything, her head is resting on my chest. There must be something else I can do, but I have no idea what. She entwines her fingers with mine, but she doesn’t look up from the table. It’s odd seeing her… broken, in a way.</p><p>She’s really good with holding everything together, though she’s comfortable enough to show me that she’s not made of steel and that feels nice. “Have they always been abusive?”</p><p>She shifts slightly, “I think it started when I was around ten. I mean, they always yelled and always fought, but they never hit me. I had started… my period for the first time in a public place. When we got home, my dad backhanded my face for ‘embarrassing him’ like that. Meanwhile, I didn’t even know what was going on, my mom told me nothing and I thought I was dying or something.”</p><p>I clench my fist slightly, “Why’d you guys leave Lima?”</p><p>“Dad got a better paying job,” she sips her coffee, “too bad he’s too much of a fucking dumbass to keep it. He got let go after slacking off for so long. Which means, we had to come back here, so he could try to get his original job back. Surprisingly, they hired him back.”</p><p>“Are you sure you can’t tell Rachel? If he did that over a hickey, what’s to stop him from doing anything worse?”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure he’d kill me, and I’m not being dramatic.” Ravan pushes her coffee away from her.</p><p>“That’s comforting.”</p><p>“Sorry, but that’s what it is. My dad is six-three, built like a tank and dishonorably discharged from the Marines. He hates my mom, but for some reason beyond logic, he married her. They had me, even though they didn’t want me. I wasn’t a boy. They wanted a boy. Mom got secondary infertility after she gave birth to me. So, I basically destroyed their lives because I wasn’t a boy, and my mom can’t have any more kids.”</p><p>At a loss for words, I hug her tighter to me. “I don’t even know what to say.”</p><p>“One the earliest insults I can remember was my mom screaming at me if she had known who’d she give birth to, she would’ve aborted me.” Her voice gets quiet, “Sometimes, I wish she did.”</p><p>“Hey,” I pull away to make her look at me, “don’t say shit like that, Ravannah. You mean everything to me, and you mean something to every last person in our club.”</p><p>“Just hard not to,” she shrugs, “I’ve been dealing with this for years, and it starts to wear you down. Every day, being called worthless, wishes of me never being born, how I’m a mistake, how I’m an embarrassment. You go through that, every day, for six, seven years it just melts you from the inside.”</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve felt so much hate for someone in my life, including my own dad.” I clear my throat, “Are you… suicidal?”</p><p>Ravan slightly pulls away from me, not looking up from the tabletop. I wait for her response, whether she wants to tell me or not. “Sometimes.”</p><p>“Well, I guess I have to glue you to me somehow,” trying to make her laugh not knowing what else I could do, “not doing anything stupid on my watch.”</p><p>A small chuckle escapes from her, “I’d prefer handcuffs over glue that could rip my skin off.”</p><p>“Knew you’d be interested in handcuffs.”</p><p>“Oh, shut up, Noah.” She laughs, pushing me slightly.</p><p>“Furry or normal?”</p><p>“You’re so weird sometimes.” Our laughter dies down, trying to be quiet because people were looking over at us with looks of annoyance. She looks at me, her eyes are slightly puffy, but that shine is back. I need to keep that back.</p><p>“Ditching, are we?” A voice comes from behind.</p><p>“Oh, hey, Kurt,” Ravan lightly smiles, “you’re ditching too?”</p><p>“Didn’t plan on it,” he sits down across from us, “dentist’s appointment was cancelled, so I figured it’d be okay for me to spend the time I’d be gone from school doing something else. Why are you two here?”</p><p>I look to her uneasiness, “Just needed a breather, you know? Between Glee and all the other drama at school, a break is needed from time to time.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she nods.</p><p>Kurt looks us over, “You guys are a cute couple,” he pauses, “weird saying that to Puck, but I guess surprises can happen.”</p><p>My eyebrows furrow, “What does that mean?”</p><p>“It’s nice not seeing you with a whore, is all.”</p><p>“Jesus Christ, Kurt,” Ravan lets out a small laugh.</p><p>“I’m just being honest. I was really skeptical of this entire relationship,” he looks at me, “but seeing you two together, laughing and all that jazz is actually really nice. I’m glad you two found something within each other.”</p><p>“Me too,” I kiss her forehead.</p><p>A light simper crawls across her face, “Lucky me, huh?”</p><p>“I think you mean, lucky me.”</p><p>“Downplaying yourself again,” her eyebrow rose, “I told you to tell me when people are being rude to you, and that includes you, Noah.”</p><p>“Can you kick my ass not in public?”</p><p>“Now, where’s the fun in not having a show about it?” Kurt jokes.</p><p>“Exactly,” she pulls away, “we could sell tickets.”</p><p>“I can see people paying for that,” Kurt makes an over exaggerated sweeping motion with his hand, “Ten bucks to watch Puck get his ass kicked by Ravannah. There’d be lines down the street.”</p><p>“You two are such dicks.”</p><p>“Then the three of us can take the money and have the last laugh.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah, sounds like fun sitting on a beach, drinking through a straw and slowly eating chips because my jaw is shattered.”</p><p>“You could shatter a jaw?” Kurt looks at her, “impressive.”</p><p>“That wouldn’t happen, sweetheart,” she bats her eyelashes.</p><p>“Thank you, baby,” I kiss her nose.</p><p>“You wouldn’t be doing a whole lot of eating; your jaw would be wired shut.”</p><p>“And now I’m leaving,” I stand up.</p><p>Ravan and Kurt stand up, “Aww, come on,” Kurt is still laughing, “here we are, in a coffee shop when there’s an arcade down the street.”</p><p>I finally let out a laugh, “Good point,” my arm wraps around Ravan.</p><p>Kurt wraps his arm around mine, “Shall we go?”</p><p>One glance down, “The only reason you’re getting away with that is because of Ravan.”</p><p>“I found your kryptonite.”</p><p>“Children, let’s get going before school actually lets out.” Ravan leads the way out of the coffee shop.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Fiction Becomes Fact</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After spending time with Puck and Ravan, Kurt reports that the relationship wasn't fake anymore.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Kurt’s POV</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>“I don’t think their relationship is fake anymore,” I’m in the Glee room with Rachel, Mercedes, and Finn.</p><p>I know that we’re the main diving point of Ravan and Puck becoming a couple or whatever, but I’m glad that it’s going in an actual good direction. The two of them just mesh so well, so well in fact that I honestly think they would’ve ended up together at some point… or maybe that’s me telling myself to lessen how awful the entire situation I’ve helped create is.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Rachel asks, “I hope my cousin doesn’t actually fall for that jerk.”</p><p>“Hey,” Finn interrupts, “I’ve never seen Puck so happy in my life. Can’t say that Ravan isn’t a lot happier now.”</p><p>“Until he cheats on her, or breaks her heart some other way,” Mercedes counters, “but I hope Ravan is smarter than that.”</p><p>“I ran into them at the coffee shop down the street yesterday,” my arms cross, “I wasn’t purposefully spying, it was just a coincidence that we all were there. I was watching them, she was crying about something, but I don’t know what it was. And it wasn’t like few tears rolling down her cheeks, it was full blown sobbing. That’s why I stuck around, because I didn’t know if he did something.”</p><p>“Ravan? Crying?” Rachel stands up, “I’ve never seen her cry, he had to do something.”</p><p>“Sit down, you drama queen,” I snap.</p><p>“Fine,” she huffs.</p><p>Finn seems uneasy, “Don’t know why?”</p><p>“No, she was crying, and they were having a quiet discussion. I’m getting ready to ask for an iced coffee to throw in his face, then she’s laughing. Kind of a whiplash, to be honest. People were getting annoyed by the laughing, they kept smiling and whispering to each other. Then I made my presence known.”</p><p>“How’d that go?”</p><p>“It was really fun, actually,” I grin, “we made a few jokes in the coffee shop, and then we went to the arcade. It was a blast, it made me forget who Puck was. He wasn’t being an asshole, he wasn’t being mean to me, he was acting like a normal human being. And the way he looks at her…”  </p><p>I glance up, all three of them are looking at me wide-eyed, “What?”</p><p>“You totally sound like you’re trying to ship them,” Rachel mutters.</p><p>“I can see his point,” Finn scratches the back of his neck, “The three of us have history together, and it’s easily the best class of the day. I’ve seen the way they look at each other, it’s actually… sweet, I guess.”</p><p>“You two are trippin’,” Mercedes crosses her arms.</p><p>“How is it tripping? As long as those two are together, Puck is a much better person. I don’t even see him look at other girls anymore. Have you two not noticed him not being as big of an asshole as usual?”</p><p>Rachel and Mercedes exchange looks, “I guess we have…”</p><p>“Hey, guys,” Ravan walks in the room, wearing Puck’s letterman jacket.</p><p>“Good morning, Ravan,” I smile at her, “why are you wearing his jacket?”</p><p>“Oh, because he spilt my juice on my shirt,” she opens the jacket, showing the huge purple stain stuck to her bright white shirt, “I thought I had a change of clothes for gym, but I guess I don’t.”</p><p>“So,” Rachel stands, “how’s all of that going?”</p><p>“Dating Noah?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Rachel shuts the door, “you aren’t really falling for him, are you?”</p><p>Ravan’s eyes shoot straight to the floor, her hand clenching where the jacket buttons meet to close it. She’s quiet for a few moments, “Does it really matter at this point?”</p><p>“Yes, it matters! He’s going to destroy your heart, like he’s done to every other girl he’s ever dated!”</p><p>“Rachel don’t do this now,” I grit my teeth.</p><p>All I’m picturing is that door swinging open after him somehow hearing that brat’s annoying voice and quitting everything. I think I’d feel worse if he broke up with Ravan over it because they’re good for each other. Rachel, however, is good for no one.</p><p>“Why not?!”</p><p>“Because if Puck comes through that door, hearing any of this, he will ditch us at sectionals,” Finn crosses his arms, “whether those two are together or not, it doesn’t matter at this moment.”</p><p>Just as Finn said, <em>thankfully </em>before she opened her big mouth, Puck opens the door. He walks in, looking around the room. “Uh… Hey, guys.”</p><p>Ravan’s look of irritation turns to complete bliss, “I thought you might’ve fallen in or something,” her arms go around him.</p><p>Puck smiles lightly down at her, though his eyes are going over the room. Like he knows we were talking about him. “What was the argument about? Whose relationship are we talking about?”</p><p>My heart slams against my chest, “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I heard Finn say something about those two not being together doesn’t matter right now. Who are we talking about?”</p><p>The entire room goes silent, no one looking at him. Ravan’s face is facing me, her arms still tightly around him. Her eyes glaze over slightly, only the slight panic fading to her body language. “We were talking about…”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“We were talking about Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury,” her throat clears, “those two are like that Katy Perry song, ‘Hot and Cold’.”</p><p>“Oh, totally,” he looks down at her, “those two are more wishy washy than some of the teenager couples in this school. I don’t think we should talk about it in this room, y’know? He’s the teacher for us, I’m sure he’d be upset about us talking about that.”</p><p>“Good idea,” I clasp my hands loudly. Thank God, he’s stupid.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Ravan’s POV</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>We’re all in the Glee room, still beaming about how we won sectionals. Everyone’s planning to go to this extremely upscale restaurant as a winning treat. Somewhere I could never afford, and somewhere where I couldn’t meet the dress code. I don’t have good enough clothes for it, and it’s hard listening to everyone giddily mentioning what they’re going to wear, and what they’re going to eat.</p><p>Noah is excited, talking closely with the guys. It makes me happy to see him so happy, so I’m going to let him know that if he wants to take someone else, that I wouldn’t mind.</p><p>There’s no way I could ever get in the door, but I’m not telling him here. I’ll tell him later, when we’re alone. Less embarrassing for me.</p><p>Within all the commotion, I'm able to slip out of the room to go home. The halls are empty since school’s been out for an hour or so. Then I hear a pair of shoes jogging up behind me, “Ravan, where are you going?”</p><p>I stop to look up at Noah, “Home, I guess.”</p><p>“But why? We’re making our plans.”</p><p>“I can’t go with you guys,” I start walking, “I wouldn’t be able to get in the door. That dress code is too high for me.”</p><p>“What about that dress you wore on our first date?”</p><p>“Even if I <em>wanted </em>to wear that, my mom found it and set it on fire in front of me while calling me a whore and such for over an hour.”</p><p>His hand wraps around mine, “Let’s tell the others, I’m sure we could all help.”</p><p>“I’m not asking for charity, Noah. It’s really okay.”</p><p>“But I want to go there with you.”</p><p>I look up at him, “They’d never let me in. Besides, none of the girls have clothes that would fit me. They’re either too small, or too big.”</p><p>Noah is looking down at me, “You helped us win, you deserve to go with us to the small party type thing.”</p><p>Placing both of my hands on his face, “To be fair, you helped us win. We wouldn’t have been able to win if you didn’t come back.”</p><p>He grabs one of my hands, “Then you should definitely be there if I’m the MVP. The MVP needs his girl, right?”</p><p>A small laugh escapes me, “And I’d be honored, but I don’t have the clothes.”</p><p>I look down at my phone, “I need to get home, though. So, I can pretend to be asleep by the time my parents get home…” I pull his face to me to give him a kiss, “I’ll see you later, okay?”</p><p>Noah nods solemnly, “Alright…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Out in the Open</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just as everything was going nicely, dining at a place that is extravagant and also celebrating their sectionals win, it seems these teenagers aren't really team players.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I knock on Noah’s door, he told me that I needed to come over as soon as I could. Wouldn’t tell me why, but he insisted that the sooner, the better. The door swings open, “There you are,” he pulls me inside.</p>
<p>“What’s so urgent?”</p>
<p>“C’mon,” he starts leading me upstairs.</p>
<p>“If the ‘urgency’ is a make out session, not going to lie, I’m going to be a bit irritated.”</p>
<p>“Trust me, it’s not for something like that. Though, we can do that later, if you want.”</p>
<p>“Ha-ha,” it’s flat.</p>
<p>Noah leads me over to his bed, that has a black box that’s tied shut with a bow. He nudges it towards me, “That’s what’s urgent.”</p>
<p>I gaze down at the beautiful box, “W… What is this?”</p>
<p>“Open it.”</p>
<p>Trying to figure out what’s going on by reading his facial expressions and body language, he just seems anxious. Not the crippling anxious I am from time to time, but an anxious entwined tightly with giddiness. Something I’ve never really seen before.</p>
<p>With one more look to him, I pull the end of the ribbon until it’s loose enough to push off. When I open the lid, I stand there speechless for a moment. Lifting the dark blue fabric, it unfolds into a sweetheart styled cocktail dress. There’s a band of white ribbon around the waist only, and it becomes lacy towards the bottom. Left in the box is a pair of dark blue pumps.</p>
<p>“How did…” I can’t think of anything to say.</p>
<p>“You should try it on,” he’s so excited. In an almost daze, I take the box with me into the restroom. “Where are you going?”</p>
<p>“To try it on,” I shut the door. I try to blink away the tears starting to escape from my eyes. Sliding off the clothes I’m wearing, I can’t stop looking at the dress. When I slide it on, it fits like a glove. The measurements are exact, however I don’t know how Noah knew that, though that’s not important. The shoes are a really comfy fit as well, and I hate high heels.</p>
<p>Once I stop the tears, I step out of the restroom. I walk up to Noah and I’ve never seen anyone look at me the way he is now, “What do you think?”</p>
<p>Looking at myself in the mirror, the stupid tears start again. Even though I try to swallow the lump in my throat, and blink the tears away, neither work. “It’s beautiful, Noah.”</p>
<p>“Why are you crying?”</p>
<p>“Because,” I turn to look at him, “no one has ever done anything this nice for me.”</p>
<p>He places his hands on my shoulders, “Can’t have a good night out with you not being there. However, you could’ve shown up in a potato sack and you still would’ve been the hottest girl in the room.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Noah. Why blue?”</p>
<p>“Because,” he sticks his hand in his closet, pulling out a similar colored suit, “Figured we could match. Plus, blue’s my favorite color.”</p>
<p>I sit down on his bed, “How did you get my size right?”</p>
<p>“That bit was hard,” he sits next to me, “apparently, I can’t just do the measurements with my hands,” he mimics how he holds different parts of me, and I stifle a small laugh at the awkwardness.</p>
<p>“But Kurt told me them after I mentioned that dress you wore. I brought up how it seemed a little small, and he said it was the closest one to your size. He then told me what measurements to give the person helping me.”</p>
<p>I throw my arms around his neck, “Thank you, Noah.”</p>
<p>He holds me tightly, “Of course, Ravan.”</p>
<p>The room is quiet, but neither of us pull away. I’m still crying, quietly because I can’t believe that someone could care about me so much. It was a feeling that was both amazing and terrifying.</p>
<p>“Hey, Ravan?” Noah’s voice is hushed.</p>
<p>I pull away, “Yes, Noah?”</p>
<p>Our eyes lock for a minute, “I love you.”</p>
<p>It was almost like my heart stopped beating for a second, “I love you too.”</p>
<p>Noah pulls me as close as he can, “Really glad you felt the same. I didn’t know how to tell you, because… I don’t think I would have known how to take it if you didn’t.”</p>
<p>“Ah, you would’ve walked it off,” I jest.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure…” He looks at me, “I don’t think I would’ve.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Noah moves slightly, looking at the floor. The room becomes quiet yet again, placing my hand on his. “Can I be honest with you?”</p>
<p>“Of course, you can,” I try to get him to look at me.</p>
<p>“I’m sure you heard things about me from other people. Especially, Rachel, I’m guessing. They’re not wrong.”</p>
<p>“How are they not wrong? You don’t act like that, at least I’ve never seen you act like that.”</p>
<p>“Because the way I act with you is different than my previous relationships.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“You’re just… different. It’s hard to explain. At first, and don’t hit me or anything, please, but I initially started dating you for the same reason I dated the other girls.”</p>
<p>I’m slowly becoming angry, “To screw me?”</p>
<p>He doesn’t look at me, “Yeah… You’re gorgeous, and you actually have a chest, thighs and ass without it being fake or you being fat.”</p>
<p>“Wow.” I’m not sure if I should that as a compliment or not.</p>
<p>“Moving on before you get mad,” he stands, “But something I couldn’t get over was you weren’t treating me like I was garbage. You’ve never insulted me, you’ve never called me stupid, all you’ve done is build me up and it made you a new dimension of beautiful. You’re good looking on the outside, and just as good looking on this inside, if that makes sense.”</p>
<p>My eyes soften, “I understand.”</p>
<p>“That’s why I’ve been trying to act better. I have an intelligent, kind and beautiful girl as my girlfriend, something that I didn’t deserve with the way I act with other women,” he finally looks at me, “and I think I still don’t.”</p>
<p>“Noah…”</p>
<p>“It’s just been kind of eating at me, but I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to break up with me.”</p>
<p>My thoughts go straight to why I started acting like I had interest in him, that I wasn’t in a good light either. I’ve been thinking on telling him, but I don’t know how. He’s being honest with me, and I feel like I should be honest with him.</p>
<p>We won sectionals, there’s no reason that I can’t tell him. “Thank you for telling me…”</p>
<p>“Aww, I missed you giving her the gift,” Finn walks in.</p>
<p>“Do you not know how to knock?” Noah looks at him, “Wait, I locked the front door.”</p>
<p>“I might have my own key,” Finn sits down in Noah’s computer chair.</p>
<p>“I’m reporting you for breaking and entering.”</p>
<p>“Only one of us has that charge against us, and it’s not me.”</p>
<p>I can’t help laughing at the two of them, “How’re you, Finn?”</p>
<p>“Good,” he nods his head at Noah, “though this asshole was supposed to wait for me.”</p>
<p>“I bought the dress and shoes; you just gave me a ride.”</p>
<p>“Where’s the gas money, then?”</p>
<p>“It’s the kindness in your heart for helping me help Ravan.”</p>
<p>Finn looks at me, “So, that’ll be ten bucks in gas, Ravan.”</p>
<p>“Hell, no. I wasn’t there when the gas was being used.” I’m not paying for something that I wasn’t apart of using.</p>
<p>“Moochers…”</p>
<p>Noah picks up his pillow and hits the back of Finn’s head with it. “The payment was you ruining this moment between Ravan and I.”</p>
<p>“The moment,” he hits him back, “wouldn’t have existed to be ruined.”</p>
<p>I stand up, “I’m going to change back into my clothes, you two better be done with your pissing contest when I come back out.” The two of them are going back and forth, even after I step out dressed in my regular clothes.</p>
<p>“The dress looked stunning on you, Ravan,” Finn gives a small smile.</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>Noah pulls me towards him, “I think you and I will be the hottest couple in the room.”</p>
<p>“You’re forgetting about me and Quinn.”</p>
<p>“You two aren’t matching,” I playfully stick my tongue out.</p>
<p>“That and Ravan’s bigger in most aspects,” he glances off.</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Finn stands.</p>
<p>“Ravan’s smarter than her, that’s all.”</p>
<p>“That is not what you meant, and we all know it.”</p>
<p>“Are you a mind-reader, now?”</p>
<p>I shake my head, “You two are too much sometimes…”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>Noah and I are running a little behind for dinner, the rest are already upstairs waiting for us. I keep looking at myself in the glass, messing around with my hair. “You look beautiful,” he swats my hand away from my hair.</p>
<p>“My hair looks off,” my insecurity shines through, my hands just trying to correct the minute strands that don’t matter.</p>
<p>He grabs both of my hands, “You look amazing, I promise.”</p>
<p>The elevator opens, and we both walk out. The entrance was a little bit down the halls. We could hear the rest laughing and joking around the corner from us. As we turn the corner, one by one, they all look at us – stunned into silence.</p>
<p>Noah’s arm is around my waist, and everyone is just looking at us. “Sorry, we’re late.”</p>
<p>Rachel walks up to me, “You look so gorgeous, Ravan,” she smiles up at me.</p>
<p>“That dress,” Kurt he pulls at the bottom slightly, “it’s amazing.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” I get a few more compliments, only stopping because they’re taking us to our table.</p>
<p>Everyone takes their seats, picking up the menu in front of me. There’s small chit-chat, trying not to be too loud.</p>
<p>I take moment to look at Noah, who looks unbelievably good. Though his blue is slightly darker than mine, it goes better with his darker skin tone. Not that it takes much to be darker than someone who has to get ‘ivory porcelain’ for foundation. It goes better with his beautiful hazel eyes.</p>
<p>He catches me admiring him, shooting a small smirk back at me as he rubs my thigh under the table.</p>
<p>“So,” Shue speaks up, “how’re you two doing?”</p>
<p>Noah looks up, “I’m doing great.”</p>
<p>“I’m well, how about you?”</p>
<p>“I’m ecstatic that all of us are here, celebrating our hard work together.” You can see the pride he has in us in his eyes.</p>
<p>I look to Noah, “I’m glad he came back, or else we wouldn’t be able to celebrate anything.”</p>
<p>“MVP, right?” He jokes, getting a small laugh from the people who understood he was joking.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say that…” Rachel mutters under her breath and she’s the only idiot who doesn’t get his sarcasm.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Noah looks at her.</p>
<p>“You coming back helped a lot, yeah, but I think Finn, or I would be MVP.”</p>
<p>“Uh… leave me out of this, Rachel,” Finn hides behind his menu.</p>
<p>“Let’s not do this,” Shue tries to stop the budding argument.</p>
<p>“Yeah, guys,” my hand is on Noah’s knee under the table, “we’re in a nice place, let’s drop it.”</p>
<p>“I was just being honest.”</p>
<p>“No, you were just being a bitch.” Noah spits, I tighten my grip on his knee. Trying to tell him to stop.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Shue stands up, “knock it off now. Both of you.”</p>
<p>Finn puts his hand up, “You’re going to get us kicked out. Quit it.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t being a bitch; I was correcting your invalid statement.”</p>
<p>“He was joking, Rachel, now stop.” I’m getting mad.</p>
<p>“Oh, so you’re taking his side over mine?” Her anger is now at me.</p>
<p>“I’m taking the side of both of you dropping it before we get thrown out.”</p>
<p>Noah starts to scoot back, “I’m not dealing with this.”</p>
<p>“Sweetheart, please,” I look at him.</p>
<p>“If he wants to leave then let him, if he doesn’t want to be here, then he doesn’t have to.” Rachel crosses her arms to match her childish ass bullshit.</p>
<p>I finally stand, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“Noah bought me my dress and my shoes so I could come tonight. Had he not done that; I wouldn’t have been able to get in. So, stop your bullshit, Rachel.”</p>
<p>“I stop my bullshit?” She stands up.</p>
<p>“Guys, I’m not saying it again,” Shue tries not to yell.</p>
<p>“This egotism, we all worked hard to win sectionals. We all did our parts, so stop.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you were really good with your part,” she begins.</p>
<p>Kurt stands up, knowing where she’s about to go with this. “Rachel, I swear to God, sit down and shut up.”</p>
<p>Finn nods, “Stop,” his eyes slightly shoot towards Noah.</p>
<p>Rachel looks at me, then makes sure she’s makes eye contact with Noah. “You don’t know her part, Puck?”</p>
<p>My heart is beating against my sternum, “Rachel, don’t you fucking dare.” God damn it, I’m fucking telling him later tonight, you stupid selfish imp.</p>
<p>“Dare what? I don’t understand how you’re choosing him over your own blood.”</p>
<p>“Part?” Noah looks up at me, and I can already hear the hurt in his voice. Like he knows about the negativity before Rachel ruins everything. Knowing he’s expecting to get hurt makes me feel somewhere between angry and guilty.</p>
<p>“The only reason she started dating you was to get you to come back,” she crosses her arms, “Me, Mercedes, Finn, Kurt and Mr. Shue all planned it out. My cousin was never interested in you, and nothing would’ve happened between you two without that.”</p>
<p>I’m astounded into complete stillness, forgetting to breathe for a moment. Everything slows down for me as I try to remind my lungs how to breathe. The multitude of emotions swish through my veins until my entire is body is hot from the festering rage in the pit of my stomach. Rage that wants to throw Rachel out a window.</p>
<p>“Ravan?” Noah stands up.</p>
<p>I can’t tear my eyes full of anger from Rachel, who is now beginning to realize what she’s just done. All of it slipping in as her eyes turn apologetic towards me before they look down at the table to avoid my reaction to what she just did to me. To Noah and me.  </p>
<p>“That’s not true,” I look to him.</p>
<p>Noah looks at the table for a minute, every second of his silence tears through my being. I want to comfort him the way I do when anyone else mistreats him, but how I do comfort him when I’m the one guilty of mistreating him?</p>
<p>“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ire laces through his words as I see his fists tightening while he rests them on his thighs.</p>
<p>“Rachel is full of shit,” Kurt is trying to fix it, “she just wants to hurt you, you know how much of a bitch she is.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, dude,” Finn is having his own attempt of salvation.</p>
<p>“Finn!” Rachel calls at him.</p>
<p>Noah storms away from the table, I turn to look at Rachel, “I’m so beating the shit out of you later, Rachel. Look forward to it.” I don’t wait for her response; I chase after Noah.</p>
<p>I barely make the elevator with him, “Noah- “</p>
<p>“What?” He looks down at me, “Was any of that true?”</p>
<p>My mind searches for the words I need to make this sound better than it actually is. To hide the ugliness I’ve put him through, even though it wasn’t my choice, is something I could never talk down. It’s something I could never make sound nicer than what it is, because it just breaks down into me using him to make him come back. No matter how much it was the other members were using me.</p>
<p>I sigh, “You were honest with me, so it’s my turn to be honest with you… Would you mind having this discussion in the hotel across the street? We can stay there for the night, so they won’t be able to find us.”</p>
<p>Noah rolls his eyes, “Whatever.”</p>
<p>The two of us stand in absolute silence as we stand in the elevator. I attempt to grab his hand, but the moment I moved he took a good step away from me. I can’t blame him for reacting the way he is, even though it deeply hurts me.</p>
<p>But I hurt him worse.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Comfort After the Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Rachel continued to show how much a brat she is, it makes Ravan's apology, which she was going to do privately, even harder to construct. However, Ravan has another key to aid her explanation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The door opens after being completely difficult with the stupid keycard, and we enter our room. It’s bigger than I thought it would be, so I guess that’s plus to this so far bad night. Noah stomps right past me as I kick my heels off under the desk in the room. He hasn’t said a word to me since saying ‘whatever’ in the elevator.</p><p>I hear him throw his jacket into a recliner in the corner of the room, my mind tensing from how to go about this. How to talk about this. I know that my words won’t mean much, especially since he’s still angry. Which he has every right to be, and I feel so awful.</p><p>I’ve planned on telling him tonight, I needed to talk about it before it blows up in my face. But no, instead of being able to gently break that to him in private, my idiot of a cousin decides to spill all the beans because she’s a fucking spoilt little brat. Had to just make this into a form of public humiliation for him, like he hasn’t been through enough.</p><p>My hand wraps around the back of the chair that was situated by the desk, pulling it over towards the bed so I can sit across from him. Again, I try to grab his hand, but he just crosses his arms tighter.</p><p>Noah’s eyes finally make contact with mine for the first time in about fifteen minutes. Just swirling in anger and hurt. He clears his throat, “Was that true?”</p><p>I take a deep breath, “Yes, but—”</p><p>“But nothing!”</p><p>“I let you talk when you were being honest with me!”</p><p>“Yeah and I was the one fucking telling you!”</p><p>“I was going to tell you,” my eyes water, “I was going to tell you after you were open with me, but then Finn came. I didn’t want anyone else in this conversation besides you and I.”</p><p>“Well, he was in on it.”</p><p>“Please, listen to me. I didn’t want to do this. They just… they were running out of time, and we didn’t have enough people. They some how talked me into it. Rachel was crying, and they were telling me that Glee club would be disbanded without having enough people…”</p><p>His obviously pissed off body language hasn’t dissipated in the least, “I didn’t want to lead anyone on, let alone for something as stupid as singing competition. I didn’t want to do that to you, you didn’t deserve being put through this. I’m sorry, I just… they just… I’m sorry.”</p><p>Noah finally looks at me, the anger in his eyes was now doused in sadness, “You were never interested me?”</p><p>I stare at him a moment, “I don’t know, because I didn’t know you well enough to make that kind of statement. I wasn’t interested in anything like that. Maybe knowing you a bit longer, I would’ve.”</p><p>“So, the only reason you showed interest was for the stupid plan they came up with?”</p><p>“Romantically… I guess. But I really wanted to be friends with you, and I did care about you. I’m just such a socially awkward person sometimes, and I thought keeping the club open was the best thing to do. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it, I wanted to keep them and Rachel happy,” I look down, “I just didn’t want to see her cry…”</p><p>Noah finds his anger again, “So, all of this that I thought was a genuine relationship and you love me was a lie?”</p><p>I rub my wrists under my eyes, “I never said I didn’t love you, it’s not like that.”</p><p>“Then what is?”</p><p>I stand up to be level with him, “It might have started out that way, but that’s not what happened.”</p><p>Noah looks at me, eyes locked, “Then what happened?”</p><p>“We both can admit that our beginning intentions weren’t good, can’t we?”</p><p>“I guess…”</p><p>“It might have started out the way it did, both of us not having the best of intentions, and us being together made the beginning ideations completely disappear. You admitted to that, and I’m admitting to it. I wouldn’t have changed anything that happened from then and until now.”</p><p>He’s still looking at me, but he’s not saying anything. “Noah, I don’t care about the beginning, I really don’t. These past few months have been the happiest I’ve ever been. Whether you want to believe that we wouldn’t have happened without the bullshit, that’s up to you. I don’t believe that I would’ve never gotten feelings for you. There just wasn’t enough time to find out naturally.”</p><p>I grab both of his hands, “None of that matters. It doesn’t. <em>We </em>are not fake. Our relationship is not fake. Our love is not fake. Can’t be fake if we have a ship name, right?”</p><p>Noah lets out a small laugh, “Novan?”</p><p>“Exactly,” I sniffle slightly, “Novan isn’t fake because I love you with every piece of me. I have never felt so… comfortable with another person in my life. I have never loved someone so much, ever. Rachel can spew whatever horseshit she wants because she’s bitter being alone.”</p><p>I squeeze his hands, “I’m sorry, I should have told you right after you came clean with me.”</p><p>He hugs me to him, my arms around his shoulders, “I love you too,” he looks at me, “I’ve been trying to change for you, because I never want to lose you. I shouldn’t have fed Rachel.”</p><p>“She just needs to grow up,” I pull away, “I actually had a surprise for you tonight. After dinner and everything.”</p><p>“I take it, it’s out the window now?”</p><p>“No, it’s not. Do you have that key necklace I gave you a few weeks ago?”</p><p>He pulls the chain around his neck, “Yeah, you never told me what this was for.”</p><p>“I’ll be right back, can you do me a favor and turn off our phones, please?” I slip into the restroom, letting out a heavy sigh.</p><p> I’ll deal with the negatives flowing in my blood later. Taking off my dress, leaving me in a corset lingerie with a lock in the middle of my chest, and it’s holding the corset on me. The corset is a solid, shiny blue.</p><p>I take in a deep breath, and I step out of the restroom.</p><p>Noah notices me when he looks up from turning off his phone, “Ravan…”</p><p>“Surprise,” I smile, standing in front of him.</p><p>“Kind of glad Rachel had a bitch fit, to be honest.”</p><p>Gesturing to the lock, “That’s what the key is for.”</p><p>He looks at the key in his hand, then to the lock on my corset. “This is your first time, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Yes, I was planning on doing this for a while. Then the plans seemed to be just right for me to adapt around it. We eat dinner, we split from everyone else and we walk across the street here,” I look down at the corset.</p><p>“So, I planned on tonight, which kind of went off the rails. Though, it’s kind of helping because I love you very deeply, that I want you to be my first.”</p><p>Noah had a small smile on his face, “I love you too.”</p><p>I clear my throat, “I know we’ve done some… things… but I’m still a little unsure of how actual intercourse is.”</p><p>He tries to stifle a laugh, “You mean sex, right? You’re such a nerd sometimes, Ravan.”</p><p>“I go through stuff to make this kind of romantic,” I put my hands on my hips, “but I guess if I’m so nerdy, a nerd wouldn’t wear something like this. So, I’m going to go change.”</p><p>“I like how you’re smart,” he grabs my wrists, “you teach me things, and I teach you things.”</p><p>“Except my teachings are safe for work, Noah.”</p><p>“Well, that’s not going to help here,” he smiles as he pulls me closer.</p><p>Looking over his head, “I don’t know, I think I’m too exhausted by being a nerd to learn anything new,” I fake a yawn.</p><p>Noah fakes a laugh, falling backwards to lay down and I land on top of him. His hands let my wrists go and the slide down my sides until they rest on my bottom.</p><p>A small laugh comes from me as I pull away to stand up. My hands are shaking slightly, I know that we’ve done things. Just the overall thought of actual sex feels completely different for some reason. Maybe because the social construct around the importance of keeping your virginity has brainwashed my own thoughts on a subconscious level.</p><p>His eyes look at my hands, “Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, this is just a new thing…” I sit down next to him, “I know I haven’t mentioned it or anything, but you’re literally my first everything.”</p><p>“Everything?”</p><p>“My first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love,” I look at him, “my first everything.”</p><p>Noah just sits there for a moment, “I didn’t know that.”</p><p>“That’s why I want you to understand that I never, ever meant to hurt you. I love you, Noah,” I smile lightly.</p><p>“I love you too,” he looks down at the key necklace, “what does this do exactly?”</p><p>I point towards the heart-shaped lock that’s a bit above my chest, “You insert the key here, the corset splits into two pieces and just leaves me in my underwear.”</p><p>“That’s actually pretty cool,” he loosening his tie.</p><p>A small giggle escapes me, “I suppose it is.”</p><p>Noah slips the loop of his tie around my neck and pulls me towards him again. He places his lips against mine, and I can still feel the smirk on his lips. I wrap my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.</p><p>He pulls away, holding the key in front of my eyes for a moment. I take a step back so he could insert the key in the lock.</p><p>Noah puts the key in the lock, my heart getting ready to explode. He turns the key, the small locking mechanism has a soft click, before splitting apart. It split in two, each holding one half of the corset, both sides fall to the floor, and just as I said, I’m left in my underwear.</p><p>Taking a moment to finish unbuttoning his over shirt, I catch a glimpse of myself a mirror in the corner, behind him. It’s a tad weird seeing myself like this, not like I stare at myself naked. Just the atmosphere causes a small reaction, along with his bright blue tie sitting neatly in between my breasts.</p><p>My attention goes back to him after feeling his hands on my hips again. I place my upper arms on his shoulders, “So, if we could always stand together like this, that’d be great,” he jokes.</p><p>I roll my eyes, “I’d have other clothing over my chest, Noah.”</p><p>“But I know what they look like, so I wouldn’t notice a difference.”</p><p>“You’re annoying sometimes.”</p><p>“You love it though,” he stands up, “you’re annoying sometimes too.”</p><p>“Well, it’s better when I do it.”</p><p>Noah laughs, “How is it better than when I do it?” He slides his pants down.</p><p>“Because it’s me doing.”</p><p>“Oh, so you’re better than me?”</p><p> I smile, “I never said that. You’re cuter when you’re annoying if that makes you feel better.”</p><p>Instead of verbally retorting, he grabs onto his tie again. He slides the end he’s holding onto until it’s fixed behind me. He tugs on it slightly until I look up at him.</p><p>I’m not going to explain how or what we were doing, but we’ve come across that I enjoy being choked. Before you ask me how someone would enjoy that, let me know when you find out why because I honestly don’t know. I just do.</p><p>“I think we’re suppose to focus on something else, not how annoying you may be,” he laughs.</p><p>“I am no- “he pulls the tie a little tighter than earlier, cutting off my response.</p><p>Still holding me in place, he leans down until he can place his lips against mine. Keeping one hand on the tie, the other hand on my chest.</p><p>My hand slides down his stomach until I get to his boxers. Slipping under the waistband to be able to grab him. He tenses slightly as I wrap my hand around him, pulling even tighter.</p><p>I’m glad Rachel had a bitch fit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the explosion that happened at dinner, Will is left to pick up the pieces. The two biggest pieces being Puck and Ravan, but they're miles from home. Where would they even go?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Will’s POV</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>I run my hand through my hair again, looking towards the elevator where Puck and Ravan left in. The people in the restaurant were all looking at us, and I’m so embarrassed by their behaviors.</p>
<p>“Wait,” Tina looks at me, “how come the rest of us didn’t know about this?”</p>
<p>“The smaller the group, the better the lie is kept. Unless you’re Rachel, and have the maturity of a fetus,” Kurt snaps.</p>
<p>Rachel glares towards him, “He was going to find out eventually.” Although she tried to sound strong in her retort, her guilt was written all over her face.</p>
<p>“Yeah, eventually,” Finn looks at her, “EVENTUALLY. You know, maybe not in the middle of an upscale restaurant, where we were celebrating our teamwork and our win.”</p>
<p>“I’m still puzzled as to why we weren’t in on this,” Quinn is looking at her plate.</p>
<p>“I told you,” Kurt rolls his eyes, “we needed to keep this as quiet as we could. And, again, I direct you to Rachel.”</p>
<p>The table is silent, outside of Finn trying to call Puck. “Puck isn’t answering his phone. I don’t think it’s on, it keeps going straight to voice mail.”</p>
<p>“Kurt, call Ravan, please.” I’m trying to push the embarrassment I’m feeling away, because two of my students are missing. We’re a good way away from home as well, so I have no idea where they’d go.</p>
<p>“Why don’t I do it?” Rachel mutters.</p>
<p>“Because she’s not going to answer you,” Mercedes crossed her arms, “you should feel lucky that she decided to put off your ass beating.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, if I were her, I’d totally jump over the table and start kicking your ass,” Santana shrugs her shoulders.</p>
<p>Kurt shakes his head, “Same thing, straight to voicemail.”</p>
<p>“Well, maybe they’re on the phone with each other?” Artie asks.</p>
<p>“Why would they be on the phone when they left together?” Finn raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>As the table mixes of murmurs from them not answering their phones, why they were left out of the loop and how it was everyone’s fault that this night was ruined. “Come on,” I stand up.</p>
<p>“Where are we going?” Mercedes asks.</p>
<p>“To go find Puck and Ravan, they don’t know this area. I’m also not really comfortable with Ravan being dressed the way she is.” While we were all dressed up, Ravan was dressed more revealing compared to most of the other girls wearing longer dresses. We head towards the elevator.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Kurt looks at me.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of bad people in the world, Kurt. I’m hoping that wherever they happen to be, they’re with each other, at least. I don’t even want to begin to think what could happen to either of them if they’re both on their owns.”</p>
<p>You can almost feel the elevator figure out what I mean, and some panic seeps out of them. When we get to the ground floor, I try to think how to do this. “Alright, everyone has their phone, right?”</p>
<p>“Course, Mr. Shue,” Finn holds his phone up, “we’re teenagers, remember?”</p>
<p>“Alright, so Santana, Quinn, Britney, and Mike, you guys head up this street, but stop once you hit the light rail, you turn around and start heading back here.”</p>
<p>“Got it,” Quinn turns around.</p>
<p>“Can I go with them?” Tina asks, her eyes on Mike.</p>
<p>“Yeah, fine… Mercedes, Artie, Matt, and Rachel, you head down this street. It’s a real short walk since it’s closed off. If you can see all that construction that we saw on our ways over here, you turn around and come back here.”</p>
<p>Rachel looked to me once, “Okay…”</p>
<p>I’m left with Finn and Kurt, “We’ll go look down that little strip mall, see if maybe anyone has seen them. Do either of you have a picture of them?”</p>
<p>Kurt looks through his phone, “Actually… I don’t. I could’ve sworn I’ve taken a picture with at least one of them.”</p>
<p>“I got it,” Finn holds his phone out, depicting a picture of Ravan and Puck, taking a nap together, “Had a gaming night,” he smiles.</p>
<p>“Send it to the others, they’ll need the photo, too.”</p>
<p>The three of us start walking down the strip. Some of the stores are already closed, others I’m not even sure what exactly they’re selling. “Do either of you honestly know where they might of went?”</p>
<p>“Uh…” Finn looks down the row of shops, “This isn’t Puck’s vibe, I know that. But he’d probably go in stores that Ravan was interested in. Even if he hates it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Ravan is kind of… remodeling Puck,” Kurt sticks his hands in his pockets.</p>
<p>I haven’t said that out loud, because I thought it was just in my head. Him not being in trouble every five minutes was something that was hard to ignore. Can’t even think of the last fight he was in, or how long he’s kept out of detention. It’s almost turned into being day and night.</p>
<p>A smile kind of appears on my lips at the thought of his progress. “I hope that spat didn’t break anything apart.”</p>
<p>“I just don’t get how she can be so immature and selfish,” Finn mutters, “those two are basically my best friends at this point. Puck is so much happier now, even when she’s not around, I can’t get him to shut up about her sometimes.”</p>
<p>“I’ve seen the way Ravan looks at him,” Kurt sighs happily, “they’re really good for each other. I never would’ve guessed that they would mesh so well together. Nor would I have guessed that I’d back their relationship up.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, and you put out the ship name,” Finn laughs.</p>
<p>“Hey, you helped too. Novan is better than Ravuck”</p>
<p>“Ravuck?” I can’t help by snicker lightly.</p>
<p>“Ravan and Puck,” Finn playfully nudges Kurt.</p>
<p>“Novan makes more sense since Ravan only refers to him as Noah. I have never, ever heard her call him Puck. Even before the whole dating aspect. It’s always been Noah. And God help you if she hears you call Puck stupid or insult him in anyway.”</p>
<p>“What happens?” The two of them share a glance.</p>
<p>“Ravan might be sweet and everything, but she’s got a really, really mean bite. Especially when it comes to Puck,” Finn makes some hand gestures, “Puck and I were waiting for Ravan in history class, we were there earlier than we usually would’ve been. One of those hockey douchebags comes over, completely unprovoked.”</p>
<p>He looks up slightly, “He’s talking trash and goes off on a tangent about he and I being ‘losers’ and that we're secretly gay for being in Glee club. At the end of his little tirade, he looks directly at Puck and called him a stupid waste. And…”</p>
<p>“And?” Kurt looks up.</p>
<p>“The poor dude never saw her coming. Ravan tore directly into him. Bringing up his appearance, his own stupidity when it came to math, apparently, she shares that class with him, about how our hockey team was complete garbage, so he would really know what being a stupid waste of oxygen is, way before Puck.”</p>
<p>“There were a few other little things, but to end this off, the dude started crying. So, yeah, God help you if she hears you disrespecting him. Particularly if it has anything to do with intelligence.”</p>
<p>“That also includes Puck,” Kurt clears his throat, “If Puck says something self-degrading, she lightly shuts him down and that she’d kick his ass too.”</p>
<p>The two of them start talking about their own memories with the two of them. Some of them are rather funny, but the ones that I happened at school were things I didn’t hear about. Didn’t know that Ravan was having her own slip ups, but I honestly don’t know if she’s been influenced by Puck.</p>
<p>As their conversation continues, they remind me of how closed off Ravan used to be. I had her in my class for last hour, she only said something if she was answering a question. Outside of that, she kept to herself. Sitting at the same desk, all the way in the back. Her nose deep into whatever book she was reading at that time, not even trying to interact with anyone around her.</p>
<p>While Puck was improving in his own ways, as small the change is compared to Ravan’s. He’s in my Spanish class as well, just earlier in the day. He’s occasionally still obnoxious, but it’s just words. Nothing physical, and I’m willing to put up with the verbal bit to keep it that way.</p>
<p>I’m glad that they have each other, “Those two found something, something to better themselves. I have Ravan for seventh hour, and looking back to when she started going here, then looking at it now, she’s out of her shell. I just didn’t really take notice.”</p>
<p>“Which is why the three of us have to make sure they can get through all of this and stay together. Everyone else is very against their relationship.” Kurt pressed the crossing light.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Finn watches the light.</p>
<p>“We need to keep them together. Puck is more likable, he’s kind of calmed down with his delinquent behavior, he’s not going after other girls. He hasn’t stolen anything or fought anyone or broke anything in a few months now.”</p>
<p>Kurt zips his jacket up more, “Ravan is more open to everyone, and the two of them meld into better versions of themselves. So, we gotta curb anyone trying to break them up.”</p>
<p>“I understand,” I mutter, “but I’m still really worried. Phones off, both were upset…”</p>
<p>“I know Puck wouldn’t have left Ravan on her own,” Finn glances over, “he may be mad right now, but he’s also really protective of her. There’s no way he would have ditched her. Take some solace in that I <em>know </em>they’re together.”</p>
<p>Kurt looks up at the night sky, “I just hope they’re working it out.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Second Half of the First Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ravan's apology seems to be going over well, not even thinking about what anger was to come from the two of them going MIA.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Puck’s POV</span> </strong>
</p><p>I pull away from Ravan, and I take in a good look at her again while I remove my boxers. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and she’s all mine. I can’t help but smile at that thought, “I love you.”</p><p>Ravan returns her own smirk, “I love you too.”</p><p>Taking my spot back on top of her, I’m trying to be as gentle as I can with her. I slightly watch her face, making sure that I’m not hurting her. Once I’m inside her, I do catch a slight look of pain on her face, but I’m sure she’d let me know if it hurt.  Her hands slide up against my back, tightening her grip on me.</p><p>I shudder when she sinks her teeth into me, and soon enough, her nails start sliding slightly against my back. I consider how much other sexual acts that won’t overwhelm her. Given that she has no experience not only in sex, but with a relationship as well. Pulling out, “Come here.”</p><p>Ravan slightly looked dazed, but she understands what I’m trying to do. She straddles me, and she knows what to do. Which is surprising to me, her hips move lightly. I feel every movement, and she starts using her knees to glide up and down. I sit up, her still on top of me. My arms go around her waist, she places her forehead against mine.</p><p>I’ve had sex with plenty of girls in my life, that’s no secret. I’m getting a different feeling with Ravan, who has her face nestled against my neck. There’s just something more, a deeper feeling, that made all of this a new level of enjoyable. My hands grip her hips, to help her go a little faster than she was. Her moaning got louder the faster I helped her go. The buildup is getting to the point of not being able to hold it back. I emit myself into her, and we still sit the way were.</p><p>Ravan finally looks at me, “How bad was I?” She jokes.</p><p>“Not bad at all,” I push her bangs out of her face. Something new catches my attention, there are a few faded scars on the outer part of her thighs. They’re on both sides, and they’re all uneven, “What’s that from?”</p><p>“W-what’s what from?”</p><p>I run my finger over her thigh, “These scars.”</p><p>“I went hiking with my family around the time I was twelve. I fell down the hill, a bunch of those jumping cacti, the ones that can pierce through your shoes, got imbedded into both sides,” she’s not looking at me, “and by fell, I mean my dad shoved me, and told everyone I fell.”</p><p>“Your dad is fucking garbage.”</p><p>“Yes, yes he is,” she looks away again, “we should probably clean up.” Ravan stands from the bed, “The shower’s pretty big you know,” she says over her shoulder. I follow right after her with no hesitation.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">Ravan’s POV</span> </strong>
</p><p>I roll over, my face slightly placed against Noah’s chest. The sun seeped through the bottom of the sheer curtains covering the windows. Looking to the clock on the side table, it was only seven am. Sitting up, I stretch, thinking on what the rest did last night. There’s a small stir next to me, “It’s illegal to be up at seven am on a Saturday,” Noah groaned, rolling over.</p><p>A small giggle escapes me, “C’mon, we have to prepare for Armageddon.”</p><p>“I’ll just sleep through it.”</p><p>I roll my eyes, turning on my phone. As soon as it started up, my notification tone went off over and over, “Oh, shit.”</p><p>Growling again, Noah sits up. He glares at the phone, “What the hell is it doing?”</p><p>“We’re going to be in deep shit…”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>I lean back so he can see my phone. At least a hundred different texts, from around ten people pop up on my phone. Plenty of voicemails, tags on social media and this was just on my phone. “Turn yours on.”</p><p>Noah followed suit, his phone doing the same exact thing. “Oh, great,” he shows me a text, “Rachel is going to castrate me.”</p><p>“Should I call Mr. Shue?”</p><p>“At seven in the morning?”</p><p>“I think they were looking for us all night.”</p><p>“Then he’d want to sleep in,” he pulls me to lay down again, “they all would rather be asleep.”</p><p>“No, Noah,” I pull away.</p><p>“Why not?” He whines.</p><p>Shaking my head, I call Mr. Shue. The phone rings once.</p><p>
  <em>“Ravannah Berry, where the hell are you and Puck?!”</em>
</p><p>“Noah and I stayed at the hotel across the street.”</p><p>
  <em>“What floor?!”</em>
</p><p>“Can you stop yelling, it’s seven in the morning. Hotel walls are paper thin.”</p><p>
  <em>“What. Floor.” </em>
</p><p>“Room four oh five,” I mutter. The phone hangs up, “We’re so fucked.”</p><p>Noah gets out of bed quickly, “They’re going to find out what happened last night.”</p><p>“No, they’re not,” I point to his undershirt, “give me that.” He holds the shirt to me, and I button it up. “There, now they have nothing.”</p><p>He looks at me for a good minute, “You wearing my undershirt will prove to them that we didn’t have sex last night?”</p><p>I sigh, “For someone who does a lot of delinquent behavior, you’re not really good at covering yourself.”</p><p>“That’s why people know about it!”</p><p>“Noah,” my voice stern, “if they ask why I’m sleeping in your shirt, I’m going to point out the lace under the dress. Sleeping in my dress would’ve given me painful rashes. If they ask why you’re in your boxers, you just say you sleep in your boxers. They’re not really all that clever.”</p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p>There’s knocking coming from the door, Noah walks over to open it. As soon as it opens, everyone from last night storms into the room. “Noah, sit.” Mr. Shue snaps.</p><p>Noah sits down next to me, “What did you two do last night?” Rachel stomps up to me.</p><p>“We didn’t do anything but talk everything out,” I cross my arms.</p><p>“Wait,” Santana begins, “you want us to believe that you and Puck didn’t have sex last night?”</p><p>“That’s truth,” Noah mutters, “kind of expected more, but you know…”</p><p>“Why are you in his shirt?” Rachel is extremely mad.</p><p>“I’m wearing his shirt, because as beautiful as that dress is, the inside has that uncomfortable lace that would’ve given me serious rashes. So, instead of sleeping with nothing, I slept in his shirt.”</p><p>“And he’s in his boxers because…”</p><p>“I sleep in my boxers.”</p><p>Mr. Shue gently pushes Rachel back, “What were you two thinking? You had all of us worried all night that something happened to the two of you.”</p><p>“I was thinking that I wanted everyone out of my business,” Noah snaps, “I was also thinking that the relationship that I was in was nothing but a bunch of lies. Something that didn’t exist. I was also thinking how stupid I was thinking that she cared about me. I was thinking about how I didn’t see it. There’s actually a person who’s never treated me like garbage, never insulted me and has never called me stupid, and it turns out everything was a lie.”</p><p>Everything is quiet for a moment, even me. He seems genuine in everything he said, making me feel even worse. “Which is why we spent most of last night talking,” I clear my throat, “there was a lot to go through.”</p><p>“Are you two still together?” Kurt asks.</p><p>“Of course, we are,” I grab Noah’s hand, “I came clean about somethings, he came clean about somethings. We’ve dealt with it, and that’s all there is to it. All of it being our business, not your guys’. I’m sorry we made you all worry, but don’t act like we’re the only ones in the wrong.”</p><p>“You are in the wrong!” Rachel shouts at me.</p><p>“Everything would’ve been fine if you just stayed fucking silent, you dipshit.” I snap back.</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey,” Shue puts his hand up</p><p>“You’re at fault too!”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>I go to stand up, but Noah’s arm goes straight in front of me, “White shirt, Ravan, white shirt.”</p><p>The baggy shirt would be see-through if I were to stand in it. “You’re at fault too because you guys pressured me into this entire thing. I said no but was unanimously voted to do this with guilt and tears.”</p><p>Shue is quiet for a moment, “I suppose you’re right…”</p><p>“So, how about we all just let it go and move on?” I cross my arms.</p><p>“…Fine,” Shue looks at me.</p><p>There’s a mild conversation going on between Shue and Noah because I have no patience for him right now. This was partially his fault, so he needs to accept his own fault and apologize. Not even to me, he needs to apologize to Noah. The others who were also in on this need to apologize too. I will later when no one else is around, of course.</p><p>Someone taps on my shoulder, and I turn around to see Kurt. He has a light smile on his face, gesturing his eyes downwards. As carefully as I can, my eyes glance down at the floor. All the color floods from my face and that smile made more sense.</p><p>Under his dress shoe is one half of the corset I wore last night, I completely forgot about leaving it on the floor. The other piece must’ve been pushed on under the bed somehow because I can’t see it.</p><p>Kurt only shakes his head slightly before using his foot to shove it under the bed, so no one else can see it. Now that I know that he’s fully aware that Noah and I did have sex last night, my face heats up as blush reddens my cheeks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Juvie Bird and Accusations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Puck returning from Juvie, something in his relationship starts to change. Ravan, beyond confused as to what his problem was, turns out a certain guppy told him that while he was away, Ravan wasn't so innocent.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been two weeks since I’ve last seen Noah, he’s been in Juvie. He’s meant to be getting out today, Finn, Rachel, Kurt and I are all in Finn’s house, waiting for him to get here. I’ll admit that I’m a little antsy because I’ve missed him so much.</p>
<p>Still, I’m trying to find a nice way to word <em>‘why the fuck did you try stealing an ATM machine’</em>? I suppose there could be some merit of intelligence within it, maybe just a little too bold. Fuck it, though, I’m not even going to ask. Not like the other three are going to hold their tongues, anyway.</p>
<p>Finn’s door opens, “Honey, I’m home!” Noah yells sarcastically.</p>
<p>He joins us in the den, “What’s it like being out of the slammer?” Kurt laughs.</p>
<p>“Slammer,” Noah rolls his eyes, “everything went fine.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t even miss us,” I bump my shoulder into Rachel’s.</p>
<p>Placing his hands my shoulders, “I called you with all three of my phone calls, babe.”</p>
<p>“So, what does that mean to the rest of us?” Finn asks, fake sniffling.</p>
<p>“Means you’re not as important as Ravan,” he pulls me up from my seat. He takes the seat he pulled me up from, tugging me to sit on his lap.</p>
<p>“So, I’ll be the one to ask,” Rachel clears her throat, “why did you try stealing an ATM machine?”</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of money in it,” Noah’s arms go around me.</p>
<p>“I mean,” I glance off, “he’s not technically wrong. Just a little too bold.”</p>
<p>Kurt laughs, shaking his head, “Ravan is sick for a total of two days, and you end up in Juvie.”</p>
<p>Noah tightens his grip around me, “I still think it was a good idea, maybe could’ve planned it different. Either way, it’s over now.”</p>
<p>“And you’re on probation,” Finn leans back in the recliner.</p>
<p>“No one asked you, asshole.”</p>
<p>I sigh slightly, “In the same room for two minutes, and you two are already going at it.”</p>
<p>“Gotta make up for two weeks’ worth, Rave,” Finn jests.</p>
<p>Noah shakes his head as he leans back against the couch, resting my head on his shoulder, “There are better things that I need to catch up on.”</p>
<p>“Should we all leave for about, what, five minutes?” Kurt laughs, scooting away from Noah.</p>
<p>Rachel groans, “They haven’t done that yet, and that’s gross. Even if they had, I’d never leave them alone.”</p>
<p>“So, you’re a watcher, Rachel?”</p>
<p>The four of us laugh extremely loudly as Rachel’s face turns as red as a stop sign, “No! That’s not what I meant, and you know that!”</p>
<p>“Are we just going to let it slide that Kurt implied that you’re the five-minute wonder?” Finn asks, wiping some tears of laughter off his face.</p>
<p>“Given that I’ve actually had sex,” Noah shoots a glare to both of them, “what does that make you two? The Virg-Twins?”</p>
<p>Finn and Kurt shoot a look back at him, Noah’s smile glowing that he’s right. “Can we do something bad, call the cops and say he did it?” Kurt glances around the room.</p>
<p>“No, because if I only get to talk to Noah through a monitored ten-minute phone call once a week again, I’ll make sure I pull off something even more nefarious and pin it on you three,” I shrug.</p>
<p>“You would not,” Finn nervously laughs.</p>
<p>Rachel slowly turns her head to look at him, “Yes, she would. Ravan is a smart, petty bitch when she’s been wronged. I mean that with all the love in the world, by the way. She’d figure something out; I’ve seen her in action firsthand.”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Noah sits up with interest, “Ravan is a bad girl?”</p>
<p>“That didn’t sound sexual at all,” Kurt chuckles quietly.</p>
<p>“When we were around… twelve? Thirteen? Somewhere in there, I had a crush on a sixteen-year-old that lived near me. He was really cute, was nice to us. And I understand now how that would be inappropriate, but I didn’t back then.”</p>
<p>“He was not cute,” I cross my arms, “he looked like a basic ass bitch that hangs outside Hot Topic, trying to seem edgy.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Rachel throws a couch pillow at me, “anyway, I made him a little card and told him that I liked him and thought he was cute… really big regret of mine, sometimes.”</p>
<p>“So, he was a cunt, like I’ve explained. Instead of, you know, being nice and saying that he didn’t have those feelings and let it go. That wannabe Good Charlotte reject takes that card to his friends, and they all start bullying her. Three sixteen-year olds, bullying a thirteen-year-old. I saw how much it hurt Rachel, and it pissed me off.”</p>
<p>“What’d you do?” Finn shoves another handful of chips into his mouth.</p>
<p>I sit up, “That little bitch had a pride and joy – his car. I spent the night at her house since she lived closer to him than I did. We waited until it was around midnight, the entire neighborhood was dead. We snuck out, and I had everything we needed in my backpack.”</p>
<p>Rachel nods, “Sugar, a knife and gloves.”</p>
<p>“Did you two murder him?” Noah asks, his eyes shooting between the two of us.</p>
<p>“No. We put on gloves, I had Rachel pour sugar into his gas tank. I ran the knife around the car for a little bit, before slashing three tires. Then we took off, ran home, and stuffed the gloves into the dumpster behind her house. Best part was, he pissed off so many people, that they didn’t even begin to think it was us.”</p>
<p>Kurt sips from his drink, “Why three tires?”</p>
<p>“Usually get a good deal to replace all four tires. Most places only give deals with four tires, so having to either bite the bullet and buy an extra tire or overpay.”</p>
<p>“However,” Rachel puts her hand up, “we didn’t know that the sugar would just completely destroy the car. I’d say I feel bad about it, but he was a prick who deserved it.”</p>
<p>I nod, “Total piece of shit. I wish I did more, but I was only beginning to master the petty craft.”</p>
<p>Noah leans back again, “So, you’ve mastered it?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” I look at him, “piss me off and find out.”</p>
<p>“I’m good, I like being alive.”</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>I sigh contently as I sink into the huge beanbag chair in the corner of Rachel’s room. Her, Kurt, Mercedes, and I are having a little slumber party. I’m extremely grateful for it because Noah is driving me fucking nuts and I don’t know why he’s acting the way he’s acting. At this point, people in Glee club are picking up on it as well. He came back from Juvie, and he met Sam.</p>
<p>I treated Sam like a friend since he was a member of the Glee club, and that’s all I did. Made a few jokes in the class we share, nothing more, nothing less. We literally went our separate ways; we would only talk in class or in the club.</p>
<p>Somewhere within me treating him as a friend, he took as I was leading him on. He joined while Noah was in Juvie, the beginning of the two weeks he was sentenced to. Noah and Sam didn’t even know each other yet.</p>
<p>So, we were all asked to sing a song to your significant other. In which I couldn’t do the song I planned on doing because, well, JUVIE. Noah comes back, everything is going as normal. He’s not out of place, Sam isn’t acting in a different way either. It’s a pretty calm Monday. When we all get to club, Shue told me to go ahead and preform the song I practiced.</p>
<p>Noah didn’t know the song I was going to sing, but he knew what the assignment was about. However, Sam did not. The song that I sang was Unconditionally by Katy Perry. When I reached the bridge, of course I walked straight over to Noah. Because we’ve been together for so long at this point, people knew that we were dating. Sam, who is new, didn’t know that. Bridge finished; I step back to finish off the song. Applause, and I sat down next to Noah.</p>
<p>I get to fourth hour, the class I share with Sam, the following day and he asked if I could speak to me privately once class was out. Confused as to what he needed to talk to me about, I told him yeah, we could. Class goes by, he even sits right next to me and I don’t notice anything off. He was acting normal.</p>
<p>Bell rings, we step out to one of the little alcoves between the lockers. Not exactly hidden, it’s just a small space in the wall to separate the lockers.</p>
<p>By this point, I could tell he was upset about something by his demeanor. His arms crossed, he asked me why I didn’t tell him I was dating Noah. Even more baffled at this point, I simply say I didn’t see the need for that, as I was just being nice to a fellow club member.</p>
<p>He accuses me of leading him on, all the talking we did, how I helped him figure out what the first song he was going to sing to the club. Actions I would do for any other new member.</p>
<p>I apologized, told him that I’m sorry that he felt that way, but that’s not what I was doing. That I have been dating Noah for so long, the whole school knows we’re together. I apologized that I know he wouldn’t have known that, since Noah wasn’t here Sam’s first two weeks in the club. Sam still accused me of it, saying that it was really rude, and that maybe I need to be <em>less friendly</em>.</p>
<p>At this point, I’m getting mad myself. Standing up straight, I snap at him that maybe he shouldn’t read into signals that aren’t fucking there. Here he was, accusing me of something that I didn’t fucking do. The only person, and I absolutely mean <em>only</em>, I look at romantically is Noah. I bit my tongue, still keeping in mind that he was a part of Glee club.</p>
<p>Sam then went on to say that he should tell Noah what kind of person I was, which really fucking pissed me off. Threatening to tell him something that I didn’t fucking do. I snapped, rather loudly, that he doesn’t fucking threaten me with anything, especially with shit that isn’t fucking true.</p>
<p>At the time, I didn’t notice that people were lingering around us to listen in. Trying to keep myself under control, I told him that I don’t give a flying fuck about the feelings he has for me, and that I never, <em>ever </em>implied anything more than friendship.</p>
<p>When I went to turn around to walk away, Noah is right there. He kind of eyes Sam for a moment, who at this point, stomps down the opposite way. Noah asked what that was about. Flustered, I explained that since Sam was not only a new student, but he was also a new addition to the club.</p>
<p>So, I did what I would do for any other person in that spot and talked to him. Helped to work out the first song he performed while Noah wasn’t present. Somehow, he swished it to seem like I had feelings for him, which I did fucking not.</p>
<p>Noah brushed it away, knowing that everything Sam had said was bullshit. Couple days go by, there was a party that weekend, which Noah really wanted to go to. I told him he could go, but I had already made plans with Kurt. He kind of pushed a little bit, something he hasn’t really done, and I tell him I’m sorry, but I already had plans.</p>
<p>Giving up, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and walked towards his next class. It hurt me a little bit because I thought I was in the wrong. I talked to Kurt and Shue about it, and they said there was no reason for him to react that way. That it was immature.</p>
<p>The following Sunday, which is today as we have a three-day weekend, Noah asked if I could come over. Anxious to see why he was upset with me the previous Friday, I got there as soon as I could. We walk up to his bedroom, and I feel like he’s acting different.</p>
<p>Told me that he talked to Sam at the party and demanded to know why I left out what song I helped him with. It was a rendition of Fallin’ For You by Colbie Caillat. I said I didn’t see the point of it. He gets defensive that I knew what that song was about, and I still helped him with it.</p>
<p>I stayed quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what the fuck his problem was. I explained that he picked the song out on his own, I just helped him find the more comfortable octave and that was it. Pushed to know why I didn’t tell Sam that I was with him, and I had already explained that.</p>
<p>Then he says something that not only deeply hurts me, it sends my fucking anger up by a thousand. He accuses of me cheating on him with Sam while he was gone.</p>
<p>Not able to process that maturely, because of how fucking badly that hurt me. I told him how fucking dare he accuses me of something that vile, something that hurtful. Said it would explain why Sam was so hung up on me, and that now we’re both hiding what happened.</p>
<p>With not being able to find any words to come out of my mouth, I shove him hard, and he hits his closet door. Nothing else is said I leave his room, stomp down the stairs, and slam the front door behind me.</p>
<p>I immediately call Kurt, ask if he was home, since he was the closest to Noah. As soon as I slammed Noah’s front door shut, I took off in a direction that he wouldn’t be able to see me take. I basically ran straight to Kurt’s house, and he noticed how mad I was.</p>
<p>I told him everything that just happened, breaking down into tears. I have done nothing but give Noah everything I had. For him to accuse me of doing such a fucking heinous act made me physically sick. Kurt calms me down, saying that if Noah wants to be a prick, that I let him be a prick on his own for a while. I stayed there until we came over here.</p>
<p>Rachel picks up my bra, which I left in the corner with the rest of my day clothes, “Jesus, what cup are you?” I think she’s trying to make me laugh. She picks up on me being mad or upset really well.</p>
<p>“Forty-Four-D.”</p>
<p>Sighing, “We’re addressing the elephant in the room,” Rachel sat across from me, “what’s with you and Puck?”</p>
<p>My eyes water slightly, but I’m able to blink them away. “He’s just being a fucking dick and I don’t know why.”</p>
<p>“Accused her of cheating,” Kurt snaps, “like he has any room to throw that accusation around to anyone. Let alone Ravan.”</p>
<p>“Cheating?” Mercedes turns to look at me, “Who does he think you cheated with?”</p>
<p>“Sam,” I try to let the beanbag swallow me more, “he goes and tells Noah about how I helped with that song, that the way we were acting, we were both trying to hide what we had done.”</p>
<p>Rachel scoffs loudly, “Puck can fuck off,” she doesn’t really cuss much, except when she’s around me. I think my language is contagious, as a few other people cuss more in my presence.  </p>
<p>My phone goes off, “Hello?”</p>
<p><em>“Where did you go?” </em> It’s Noah, so I put it on speaker. With my finger, I tell them not to say anything.</p>
<p>I groan, “I told you, I’m at a slumber party with Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Who’s house?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Why does that matter to you?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Because I just want to know.” </em>
</p>
<p>“I’m not telling you, because you’re going to show up and be a prick again.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s because Sam’s there, isn’t it?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck you,” I snap, “I don’t know what the fuck has crawled up your ass and died, but you need to sort that shit out yourself.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“The problem is that you’re dodging me and you’re dodging my questions.”</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m not dodging anything! You come out of nowhere with all these accusations that are completely false!”</p>
<p>
  <em>“If they’re false, then tell me where you are.” </em>
</p>
<p>Rachel snatches the phone from me, “She’s here with me, at my house. I’m letting you know now, if you show up, I’ll call the cops. You’re already on probation, I’m not going to let you talk about Ravan like this because we all know she didn’t cheat, because she’s not you.”</p>
<p>His side is quiet for a few moments, <em>“You put me on speaker phone? Need other people to fight your battles?”</em></p>
<p>Okay, that’s fucking it. I rip the phone away from Rachel’s hand, “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, or what the fuck is your problem, but I’m not fucking dealing with it. If you’re going to continue to act this way, then you and I are going to have bigger problems.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“We have pretty big problems now!” </em>
</p>
<p>“I mean in the sense that if this shit is going to get worse, then you and I are through.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Can you please take me off speaker phone and talk to me one on one?” </em>
</p>
<p>I walk into Rachel’s bathroom, shutting the door behind me. “Get talking before I hang up.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Look, I’m sorry with everything lately. It’s just because I felt like you were embarrassed of me or something, and that’s why you didn’t tell Sam.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Embarrassed? Noah, the whole school knows we’re dating. We’ve been dating for months, so sorry I thought that I didn’t need to tell someone anymore. Sam didn’t know, but I was completely secure in the fact that everyone else knows.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“…I didn’t think of it that way.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Because we’ve been with each other for months. We haven’t had to explain this for months. That’s why it never crossed my mind to tell Sam, since everyone knows. After Quinn and Finn had that tiny break up, we’re the longest standing couple within the club.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Can you come by tomorrow?”</em>
</p>
<p>I take a moment, hesitantly thinking if I could, or even would. “I suppose, but if you pull anymore of this bullshit, Noah, I’m finished. I’m not going to be accused of doing things that I’ve never done or wouldn’t even think of doing.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“I won’t. I promise.” </em>
</p>
<p>“Then fine.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“I love you, Ravan.” </em>
</p>
<p>“I love you too, Noah.”</p>
<p>I hang up the phone, “I love you too, Noah?!” Mercedes exclaims.</p>
<p>Reclaiming my seat, “Noah thinks I’m embarrassed by him, for some reason.”</p>
<p>“Embarrassed?”</p>
<p>“He’s always been a little insecure,” I grab a handful of pretzels, “no matter how long we’ve been together, he’s always had uncertainty.”</p>
<p>“About what?” Rachel goes back to braiding Mercedes’ hair.</p>
<p>“I honestly think it’s because I’m smarter than him, but I don’t rub it in his face and I’ve never called him stupid. Mentally, if someone is abused for a long time, in any way, when they’re treated respectfully, they’re not used to the positive actions. Which in turn makes them uncomfortable and lash out when it’s being shown to them.”</p>
<p>The room is quiet, because the other three in the room with me are all guilty of that behavior. “I guess I can see it,” Kurt mutters, “sometimes I still get shocked when someone isn’t homophobic to me.”</p>
<p>“Noah might be able huff and puff and all of that, but underneath all of that he’s actually a… pretty damaged person. That’s why he acts that way.”</p>
<p>“So, because people are mean to him, he gets to be an asshole?” Mercedes asks.</p>
<p>I can’t help having a little scoff, “When he’s being an asshole towards the people who are acting like assholes, then yes. That’s how that works. Pain, anger, and rage has to go somewhere. If not, it bubbles up and poof! There’s fire everywhere.”</p>
<p>Rachel looks up at me, “Yeah, Ravan here turns into a flaming tornado when she snaps.”</p>
<p>“Flaming tornado?” I laugh.</p>
<p>“How so?” Kurt is opening another bag of chocolate.</p>
<p>“Slow down on the <em>Kit-Kats</em>, Kurt,” Mercedes teases, grabbing a few herself.</p>
<p>“I remember,” Rachel scoots closer, “her and her parents came to visit a couple years back when we were thirteen. They were here for a few weeks. There were these girls that would constantly talk shit to us if we were outside. Their parents didn’t care, so they never stopped.”</p>
<p>“Ah, what was their fucking names?” I look up at the ceiling, “Makayla and Addison.”</p>
<p>“Two of the dumbest names on the planet,” Mercedes laughs as she sips her soda.</p>
<p>“Anyway, they would constantly come over to mess with us. The boiling really started when they kept callings us Kikes, doing stuff like that. When Ravan went inside to use the bathroom, I waited outside. One of them hit me, the other kicked me. Then took off.”</p>
<p>I grit my teeth, “I come outside, Rachel’s on the ground crying. Her nose was bleeding, and I saw red.”</p>
<p>“The next day, we saw the two of them were playing outside. Their parents weren’t home, the cars were gone. We hadn’t gone outside yet today. So, I went out as a distraction, because they’d gang up on me if Ravan wasn’t outside.”</p>
<p>“Those two ran straight over to her, and I went out the back door. I waited until they got distracted with her. Just kept talking, but I warned Rachel that she might take a hit.”</p>
<p>“Which was worth it,” Rachel smiles, “I get pushed down, and before they even know what was going to happen, Ravan tackled them both to the ground. It was like a cartoon fight, anytime they tried to get away, she’d grab their hair and yank them back hard of enough that they’d hit the floor. She just kept hitting and hitting, yanking, and yanking. Kind of like when Mufasa took on the three hyenas. Then we ran right back inside.”</p>
<p>“I would’ve loved to see that!” Kurt yells, clapping his hands.</p>
<p>“Maybe tell that story to Puck,” Mercedes jests, “maybe he’ll stop being a dick.”</p>
<p>“Basically,” Rachel is trying to catch her breath, “if Ravan’s goes from angry, to super calm and silent – run. Or she’s going to rip your head off.”</p>
<p>“Not a bad description,” I toss a pretzel at her, “doesn’t sound conceited when you say it.”  </p>
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